Total joins Uganda Breweries’ drive to plant over 40 million trees

Fuel company, Total Uganda has joined the drive by Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) to create awareness against deforestation by encouraging the public to plant trees.

On Thursday, the fuel company joined UBL’s “Running Out of Trees” Campaign which is a two- day 330-kilometre marathon that will culminate into the national tree planting day in April.

Speaking at the function on Thursday, Total Uganda Managing Director, Obi Imemba said joining the drive is part of their commitment not to just speak but demonstrate commitment to conserving the environment.

The way we lose the precious vegetation, makes the heart hurt and we, therefore, have an obligation to stop this trend by creating awareness and support anyone who is for saving the environment,”Imemba said.

The Total Uganda boss said the company has in the past three years invested between two and three billion dollars per year in renewable energy as one of the ways to save the environment and said these efforts will continue.

“Our goal is to be committed to energy transition to a cleaner one. It’s the reason we sell excellium fuel to reduce pollution centrally to the normal fuel.”

He added that the fuel company had contributed shs13.5 million to the campaign.

According to Uganda Breweries Corporate Relations Director, Charity Kiyemba there is need to restore the green cover the country had in the past but had been wiped away.

“What used to be a beautiful green state is no more. If you are shocked, then there is need for joining efforts to restore the green. It’s the reality we are facing today,”Kiyemba said.

Quoting National Forestry Authority figures, Kiyemba said in the past 25 years, Uganda has lost 2.5 million hectares of forest cover and on average 122000 hectares are lost every year to human activities.

“At this rate, by 2030, there could be no tree left. There is need to stop this trend,” she added.

This year’s National Day of Tree Planting is under the theme ’40 million Trees in eight hours whereas the “Running Out Of Trees” relay will have over 30 high profile and diverse runners each running 10 kilometers from Kampala to Gulu.

The run to be flagged off at Parliament will take place between February 7 and 8.