About 150 employee volunteers from Telecel Ghana, together with school children from the Golden Sunbeam International, planted over 10,000 seedlings in a bold reforestation effort to commemorate World Environment Day 2025.

The environmental stewardship exercise aligns with the telecommunications giant’s sustainability commitments and broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, which includes tree planting and renewable energy integration in its operations.

It also forms part of its annual contribution to government’s Tree for Life reforestation initiative to restore degraded lands and promote environmental sustainability. To date, the telco has planted over 30,000 trees at the Achimota and Chipa forest reserves.

“Protecting the environment is one of the core elements of our Sustainability pillar as a business. Each year, employees and leadership take time out to plant trees as part of our environmental sustainability commitments. I am proud of the contribution we are making to this forest reserve, planting a total of 20,000 trees between 2024 and 2025” said Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive Officer of Telecel Ghana.

She planted the first tree as the workforce followed suit.

“I will encourage other organisations to partner with the community to plant more trees as its good for our collective health and environment.”

The Chipa Forest Reserve, located in the Shai-Osudoku district of the Greater Accra Region, has faced increasing pressure from illegal logging and encroachment in recent years. Telecel Ghana’s reforestation exercise, in coordination with the Ghana Forestry Commission, represents one of the largest corporate-led planting efforts in the region.

“Chipa is a degraded forest reserve, so we are impressed that Telecel Ghana comes in annually to collaborate with Forestry Commission to enable us to restore the reserve to its original state,” Linda Ansah, District Manager of the Tema Ada Forest District said.

“We ensure that after the planting exercise, the seedlings are nurtured and tended to maintain good growth.”

World Environment Day, observed globally on June 5 under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since 1973, is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world.

This year’s theme is #BeatPlasticPollution with a call on individuals, organisations, industries, and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change.

For Edem Caleb Agbodja, a second-year junior high school student and member of the Wildlife Club at Golden Sunbeam International School, the planting exercise is part of the bigger fight against climate change.

“I feel happy to be planting trees today to help improve our environment. My advice to my friends and young people is that everyone should try and preserve our environment and wildlife by planting more trees to help combat climate change,” Edem said.

After the tree planting, the team proceeded to the Shai Hills Resource Reserve for an ecotourism tour to climax the day’s activities to mark World Environment Day. In the month of June, Telecel Ghana plans to plant an extra 5,000 trees in Kumasi during its Ashanti Month celebrations.