Today, Michael Magambo ,CEO-ATC Uganda handed over a dummy cheque worth UGShs45 million to Alfred Okot Okidi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Water and Environment towards the 2021 Running Out of Trees (ROOTS) campaign. The occasion signified ATC Uganda’s commitment and contribution to the conservation of Uganda’s indigenous tree species.
“As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, the Environment is one of the five core pillars for which we purposefully conserve to positively impact the communities in which we operate. Our contribution to the campaign therefore, is to address a challenge within our communities but also beyond, seeing that the national deforestation rate stands at 2% annually with an average of 122,000 hectares lost every year. We appreciate the Ministry of Water and Environment and Uganda Breweries Limited for this initiative. It is for the likeness in goals that we pledge our commitment” said Michael Magambo
The Ministry of Water and Environment in collaboration with Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) launched an annual campaign in October 2019 dubbed ‘Running Out Of Trees’ (ROOTs), which entails a series of activities aimed at restoring Uganda’s diminishing tree cover. This year, the campaign kicked off with an aerobics exercise for all participants at the Parliament of Uganda, followed by the launch of the ROOTs App by the Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of Parliament. The App is accessible by the general public and can be downloaded via Google Play Store or App Store. One can purchase a tree at UGShs 1,500, using mobile money via the ROOTs App.
In appreciation of ATC Uganda’s contribution, Alfred Okidi, Permanent Secretary said “I thank ATC Uganda for your immediate response to this cause, your participation is an encouragement to other private sector players to come on board so that we together combat this vice. The plan this year is plant 40 million tress all over the country, therefore your contribution has gone a long way to meet this target. I continue to call upon all Ugandans to join us as we look forward to commemorating the National Tree Planting Day on 17th May”.
The Running out of Trees (ROOTs) campaign is an initiative between, the Ministry of Water and Environment in collaboration with Uganda Breweries Limited together with other private sector players whose main objective is to work together to fast track National Forest Restoration Goals and Commitments which includes a plan to restore 2.5 Million hectares of degraded landscapes by 2030.
