A donation of Lm15,000 was presented to Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi by HSBC’s chief executive officer Shaun Wallis at the official launch of the government’s new “3 4 U” afforestation campaign at the National Park in Ta’ Qali.

HSBC, through the newly launched HSBC Cares For the Environment Fund (HCEF), became the first Corporate Organisation to pledge funds to the “3 4 U” campaign.

The “3 4 U” campaign will encourage people to buy and plant their own tree in any of the selected areas chosen by the government for afforestation projects. Every tree will have a tag attached to it indicating the person it represents. HCEF’s donation represents the cost involved in purchasing and planting a tree for each of HSBC’s circa 1,500 employees and associates.

“When the HSBC Cares For The Environment Fund was established two months ago, we announced that the fund’s main aims were to help with the improvement of the environment in Malta and to take initiatives that enhance public awareness. The ‘3 4 U’ campaign fulfils these aims encouraging the local community to improve our environment. We hope that our customers will also support this campaign and our fund,” Mr Wallis said.

Two of the sites earmarked for afforestation, Xrobb l-Ghagin and Mellieha, will be managed by Nature Trust and Bird Life Malta respectively; they will develop the sites for controlled recreational and educational use.

Tree planting in the area around the abandoned transmitting facility at Xrobb l-Ghagin will get underway very shortly. Afforestation at the site in Mellieha will commence at a later stage once the interventions currently underway to mitigate high rates of soil erosion due to misuse and lack of vegetation cover are completed.

“This is an exciting project for Malta and I look forward to personally planting some trees in the very near future together with many of my colleagues. The HSBC Group is committed on a global basis to taking steps to improve the environment. Our US$50 million support of Earthwatch is one example. All of us in Malta have a responsibility now and for the future, to look after our environment. Imagine Malta in years to come with many more trees, birds and greenery, or imagine it with much, much less. We all have a part to play,” Mr Wallis concluded.