SC Johnson and Conservation International have completed the largest acre-for-acre match program to conserve Amazon rainforest.
The SC Johnson/CI match campaign garnered donations from all 50 U.S. states and 31 countries through CI’s website.
RACINE, Wis., June 7, 2017 – With Amazon rainforest deforestation once again on the rise, SC Johnson and Conservation International (CI) announced today they have completed the largest acre-for-acre match program to conserve the Amazon rainforest. SC Johnson’s match campaign will help CI preserve 10,000 acres of rainforest in the Amazon region.
The acre-for-acre campaign was promoted in conjunction with SC Johnson’s sponsorship of Under the Canopy, an immersive 360-degree virtual reality film that allows viewers to experience the wonders of the Amazon. The film, co-produced by CI and leading cinematic virtual reality company Jaunt, explores the extraordinary landscape of Amazonia guided by the indigenous people who inhabit the region and are essential to its protection. It has been seen by more than half a million viewers worldwide.
The funds from the match campaign – which garnered donations from all 50 U.S. states and 31 countries through CI’s website – will be used to protect tropical forests and replant approximately 3 million trees in the Amazon region.
“We are encouraged by the public response to Under the Canopy and to support efforts to save the Amazon rainforest. It is our hope that we can continue to inspire others to help protect this vital resource for future generations,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson.
The completion of the campaign comes as deforestation in the Amazon is on the rise. Since 2012, deforestation rates have trended upward, with a 29 percent increase last year, much of it in Brazil. Currently, the Amazon rainforest loses 3.7 million acres-per year – forests that provide habitat for 10 percent of the world’s known species and that account for a significant portion of carbon dioxide absorbed by land each year.
“Under the Canopy brings viewers to the heart of the Amazon rainforest and inspires them to protect this irreplaceable resource,” said Peter Seligmann, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Conservation International. “By supporting our Protect an Acre campaign, SC Johnson turned this inspiration into action, engaging viewers around the world in preserving this forest for the benefit of us all.”
Partnership with Conversation International
In 2009, SC Johnson became a founding member of Conservation International's Team Earth, a worldwide sustainability effort uniting businesses, non-profit organizations, experts and individuals to address the most pressing environmental issues. SC Johnson has also worked with CI through its REDD+ program in the Peruvian Amazon to engage communities in conservation, safeguarding forests and securing livelihoods while offsetting carbon emissions.
SC Johnson, Deforestation and Brazil
As a member of the Consumer Goods Forum, SC Johnson shares its commitment to net zero deforestation by 2020 through the sustainable sourcing of pulp, paper, packaging and palm oil. The company also helped protect two reserves in Brazil’s Caatinga ecoregion in the 1990s.
In 1935, third-generation company leader H.F. Johnson Jr. led an expedition to South America to study the Carnaúba palm, whose wax was the principle ingredient in the company’s products at that time. Several decades later, fourth-generation leader Sam Johnson and his sons, including fifth-generation leader Fisk Johnson, retraced the expedition made by H.F. Johnson Jr.
This new effort with CI also fits with SC Johnson’s commitment to reducing its own impact:
About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 131-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com
About Conservation International (CI)
Conservation International (CI) uses science, policy and partnerships to protect the nature people rely on for food, fresh water and livelihoods. Founded in 1987, CI works in more than 30 countries on six continents to ensure a healthy, prosperous planet that supports us all.
CI’s first VR film, “Valen’s Reef,” tells the story of one of the most successful community-driven conservation projects in the world in the world, the Bird’s Head Seascape Initiative in Indonesia. More than 2.0 million people have viewed “Valen’s Reef” since its release in June 2016. Learn more about CI, “Valen’s Reef,” and the "Nature Is Speaking" campaign, follow CI's work on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
