Eastman has signed a partnership agreement with the environmental non-governmental organization SOS Mata Atlântica and Bracell, a producer of dissolving pulp, to donate 15,000 seedlings in support of a program designed to help restore the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
This environmental initiative will support Future Forests, a program created to catalyze forest restoration in permanent protection areas, such as riparian forests and legal reserves in the Atlantic Forest biome. The project by Eastman, SOS Mata Atlântica, and Bracell focuses on restoring forests in the Jequitibá region of Brazil, within an environmental protection area on the northern coast of Bahia.
An investment from the Eastman Foundation is supporting the restoration in the selected area, which is part of Bracell’s Forest Partnerships Program. The area, located in the municipality of Entre Rios, houses two springs. The initiative will contribute to improving the ecosystem service of water regulation, bringing benefits to the entire region.
The restoration will follow a high-density and diversity methodology; there will be 2,500 native trees per hectare with 60 to 100 different species. Planting reports will be prepared after the completion of each phase of the project, along with the distribution of periodic reports with planting images during the maintenance of the area and annual reports during the monitoring period.
The Atlantic Forest is a tropical forest biome with over 90% of its extent in Brazil. It occupies 15% of Brazilian territory, covering the east coast, northeast, southeast, and south of the country. It is among the global priority ecosystems for restoration, considering biodiversity, climate, and cost. The forest is part of a group of ecosystems that — if optimally recovered — could save 71% of species from extinction and absorb nearly half of the carbon accumulated in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, according to research conducted by the Brazilian government.
SOS Mata Atlântica was formed in 1986 with the aim of promoting public policies that support the conservation of the Atlantic Forest. Bracell is a global leader in dissolving pulp and supplier of pulp used in the production of Eastman Naia™ Renew cellulose fiber.
Eastman is a global specialty materials company that produces a wide range of products found in items people use every day. It employs approximately 14,000 people worldwide and serves customers in more than 100 countries. The company had revenues of approximately $10.5 billion in 2021 and is headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA.