Nissan Malawi embarks on tree-planting
Nissan Malawi Limited—one of the car dealers in the country—has come up with a project that aims to mitigate effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) that is released during the combustion of fuels.
The company’s sales and marketing manager Yamikani Mbawala said the transport sector is the second largest source of CO2 emissions the world over; hence, the need for motor dealers to assume an active role in mitigating the effects.
He said Nissan Malawi will start planting trees in selected areas across the country as part of the initiatives to achieve the goal.
“We will start planting trees this April. We want to plant as many trees as possible so that Malawi can feel the impact in the shortest space of time possible,” he said.
The main human activity that emits CO2 is the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil) for energy and transportation, although certain industrial processes and land-use changes also emit CO2, according to environmentalists.
They state that the most effective way to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is to reduce fossil fuel consumption.
However, Mbawala expressed doubt that countries could reduce fossil fuel consumption considering the importance of the transport sector.
“Hence, we are stressing the need to plant trees, which can act as mitigating instruments,” he said.
Government launched this year’s tree-planting season, which runs from December 15 to April, with a target of planting about 15 million trees.
Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Atupele Muluzi said at the launch in Karonga, whose theme is ‘Plant One Tree Per Person Per Year’, that forests and trees play an important role in the environmental protection and socio-economic development of our country.
“Let us, therefore, aim at planting a minimum of one tree each. If this can be done every year, our country will soon be green,” he said.
Muluzi added that the success of our national development agenda depends on sustainable management of these forests. n
