WWF and Lafarge – partners in restoring damaged forests and protecting wildlife

In 2000, Lafarge, the world leader in building materials, partnered with WWF, the conservation organization, to protect and restore vital forest habitat throughout the world. Their ‘Conservation Partner’ Programme has initiated forest restoration projects in China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Madagascar, Portugal, Scotland, Canada, Morocco and the French island of New Caledonia.

“Our co-operation with Lafarge is playing a pioneering role and setting an example for others,” said Dr. Jill Bowling, Deputy Director of WWF’s Forests for Life Programme.

Today at the World Forestry Congress, the partners announced a new conservation project in the Bow River Valley, Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada, outside the world-renowned Banff National Park. “The North American Rockies may provide the world’s best chance to protect magnificent species including grizzly bears, black bears, timber wolves and cougars,” said Steven Price, Director of WWF’s forest programme in Canada.

The project will begin by identifying key natural landscapes in existing Lafarge quarry areas that could represent suitable habitat for endangered wildlife. “Tying the Lafarge sites into a larger protected area network would be a key step in the long-term survival of these species,” said Price.

“In Northern Morocco, we are working with WWF on a conservation programme to promote sustainable economic development opportunities in the region of Tetuan,” explains Michel Picard, Vice-President Environmental Issues at Lafarge. “One of the first initiatives will be to set up an experimental nursery to develop know-how and transfer capacity for the production of native species of trees and shrubs.”

The WWF-Lafarge partnership – which runs for an initial term of five years – is the first worldwide collaboration between WWF and an industrial group with protection of the environment as one of its strategic objectives. The partnership also provided WWF with the inspiration to launch a global programme on forest restoration in 2001.