Riforestazione e istruzione: due pilastri green. Intervista al fondatore di ZeroCO2

Zero CO2 is an emissions offsetting programme, which allows companies to balance out their carbon footprint, thus progressing towards carbon neutrality. It aims to reproduce natural ecosystems worldwide by implementing what is known as permaculture, which places people's needs and sustainable agriculture at the forefront of its operations. We at GECO have also joined this programme, to offset our event's CO2 emissions by creating the Geco Jungle in the Petén region of Guatemala. We interviewed Andrea Pesce, founder of ZeroCO2.

Your work is divided between reforestation and education: how do you think the field of sustainability is connected to the field of education and how do they influence each other?

At zeroCO2 we like to say that education is the real engine of sustainable development. In order to build a fairer world, we must focus first and foremost on education, because change always starts with people. Tackling the climate crisis means first of all understanding its causes, and then working on being able to integrate functional and lasting solutions.

What can individual countries do about sustainability and what is the role of international cooperation?

The climate crisis is a global challenge, and we all have to play our part. 
Individual countries have a key role to play, as they have the power to set the boundaries within which companies and citizens can operate. It is through innovative policies and international agreements that humanity will be able to act effectively to mitigate climate change. States therefore face a tremendous challenge: teaming up to fight, together, to tackle the most most pressing threat to our species: the climate crisis.

Tell us about zeroCO2: when was it born, what does it focus on and how does it operate?

ZeroCO2 was born while I was living in Guatemala, where I was managing quality education projects. It was there that I met Virgilio, a young Guatemalan with whom I soon started sharing ideas and visions. ZeroCO2 was born out of the desire to create projects with a high positive impact. We personally manage reforestation projects with a high social impact. We grow the plants in our plant nurseries and donate them to farming families after training them in sustainable farm management. We allow companies and individuals to adopt the trees we plant in the various projects we run. Our partners can create real forests to absorb CO2 emissions and make a positive environmental and social impact. We have also developed CHLOE, a unique tracking system that allows tree sponsors to follow the tree's growth with personalised updates over the course of three years.

In December last year, ZeroCO2 obtained B Corp certification. What is it?

B Corp is one of the world's most demanding certifications that assesses the social and environmental impact of companies, with over 300 variables of analysis on governance, workers, communities and environmental impact. It represents a movement of companies that want to bring about cultural change in the world and are committed to taking responsibility for their impact on people’s lives and on the planet. We are delighted to have achieved B Corp certification with a score of 134.3 because it reflects the real impact our company has on the planet.

Why did you decide to support GECO Expo??

At ZeroCO2 we deeply believe in the ecosystem approach to sustainability, because no company can save the world alone. Supporting GECO means supporting an ecosystem that is committed to sustainability and believes innovation is necessary to build a better future.

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