Planting confidence
STIHL does not compromise when it comes to climate protection and responsible forest management: A holistic approach which integrates environmental and social considerations ensures that engagement in these areas has long-term impact. By means of innovative solutions such as the TREEO Impact Storyboard, STIHL demonstrates its commitment but also creates transparency.
Tilulaga Buluhani has already planted more than 500 tree seedlings since being trained by the Fairventures Worldwide NGO two years ago. The smallholder farmer from Uganda uses the income from this work to pay his children‘s school fees and supplement his livelihood. Along with the seedlings, he is participating in a social and ecological reforestation project which has a range of objectives: On now-degraded areas of land that were originally cleared for agricultural use, firewood or to provide building materials, trees are once again being grown to store carbon. Agroforestry – the side-by-side planting of trees and food crops on the same land – ensures biodiversity and, by providing wood and food, represents a foundation for subsistence for the local population. Local people are thereby able to sustain their own livelihoods and contribute to climate protection. What‘s more, the reforestation process means that existing natural forests are also preserved.
Tree-planting in Uganda: Seedlings become carbon stores and sources of hope.
Source: Fairventures
The people behind the statistics
“Trees can be a commodity that gives us all hope for the future. As well as making a contribution to environmental protection, we also receive financial support,” Indonesian smallholder Herlianto explains, summarizing the project. His story and Tilulaga Buluhani‘s – along with many others – are captured on STIHL‘s TREEO Impact Storyboard. The website contains an interactive world map showing the Fairventures Worldwide forestation projects that STIHL is supporting in Uganda and Indonesia. Click and scroll around the map to find out exactly where and how many trees have been planted, as well as how the planting benefits the local population and nature. The “Planting Report” also contains information about what has been achieved so far thanks to STIHL supporting nature and climate protection.
trees have been planted with the support of STIHL. (Last updated: 30.11.2025)
An interactive world map and statistics on the STIHL TREEO Impact Storyboard illustrate the progress of projects.
Minimize emissions, sequester carbon in the long term
There are various ways for companies to minimize their CO2 emissions and tackle global warming in the process. This starts with designing sustainability into operational processes, for example with electricity from renewable sources, wastewater treatment and waste reduction. Very few operations are currently able to achieve complete greenhouse gas neutrality in their operations, so some companies purchase emissions credits while others invest in selected climate protection projects.
TREEO is an app from Fairventures Digital, a sister company of the Stuttgart-based NGO Fairventures Worldwide. The app is used to monitor plantings and keep track of progress. The smallholder farmers involved regularly record each tree planted on their smartphone, taking a photo which is evaluated by TREEO. This enables STIHL to track exactly where the trees are, how they are growing and how much carbon is stored in them. STIHL is a pilot partner supporting the development of the Storyboard – which is about much more than just monitoring. Alongside figures and data the site contains backgrounds, portraits and stories so visitors can get to know the people behind the projects. This pursues the same goal as the rest of the projects: Maximum transparency and traceability of project development. “With the TREEO Impact Storyboard we are creating an unprecedented level of transparency around the actual carbon sequestration of our forestation projects. This is an important step for making the impact of our initiatives visible and enabling us to react swiftly,” says Dr. Friedemann Stock, Sustainability Officer at STIHL.
hectares of forest have been reforested with the support of STIHL. (Last updated: 30.11.2025)
This is how cleared grassland can become a forest in Uganda.
Source: Fairventures
The deforested area must be cultivated…
Source: Fairventures
…and filled with seedlings.
Source: Fairventures
Every helping hand is needed.
Source: Fairventures
Especially with so many planting activities necessary.
Source: Fairventures
With these efforts and a little patience, barren land can be turned back into forest.
Source: Fairventures
Awareness and responsibility
Forests are essential for a balanced climate. Protecting, conserving, and nurturing forests is essential – today and for all future generations. This awareness and responsibility toward the forest are deeply rooted at STIHL. That is why investing in forests is so important for the company. However, carbon storage via reforestation is only a small part of a wide-ranging package of measures for nature and climate protection. These include research projects such as “Pró Mata” in Brazil, concerning reforestation of a coastal region, and the sustainable use of natural forests by the indigenous population in Bolivia. STIHL also supports charitable initiatives such as the Bergwaldprojekt association, which protects, preserves and restores local ecosystems by means of volunteer efforts. These projects, as well as the STIHL-supported “House of the Forest”, raise people‘s awareness about responsible handling of forests.
tons of carbon have been stored with the support of STIHL. (Last updated: 30.11.2025)
Strict regulation
STIHL power tools should never be misused for illegal logging in protected forests. To help prevent this, in countries with tropical rainforests STIHL power tools can only be sold by authorized and strictly regulated STIHL dealers. In certain places, such as Brazil, chainsaw buyers are also required to obtain official permission.
Innovative approaches – such as agroforestry in Indonesia, pictured here – promote biodiversity and provide local communities with the foundation for subsistence.
Source: Fairventures
Supplying know-how and power tools
Implemented together, these measures are intended to contribute to the preservation and protection of forests as well as to reducing global warming. Sustainable forestry and innovative approaches are additionally intended to provide people with the foundation for subsistence, enhance environmental awareness, and support research. The projects are hand-picked, closely supervised, designed to be complementary and, in all their diversity, they create a clear picture: With more than just one aspect of sustainability usually included, they bring together environmental and social sustainability. In many cases STIHL can not only supply financial support but also deliver know-how and tools – to ensure change which is lasting and genuine.
With every one of these measures a central consideration is selecting the right partners, who must be serious and credible. These partners include prestigious research institutes, universities, non-governmental organizations, and non-profit associations – with most of them representing long-established collaborations. For example STIHL has been working with Bergwaldprojekt since 2006, and with Fairventures Worldwide since 2017. These relationships exemplify what we believe: Long-term commitment creates trust and consistency. Both qualities support the long-term success of forestation projects.
