Vodafone and AOPK ČR are planting half a million trees in protected regional areas

Vodafone, in cooperation with the Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic (Agentura ochrany přírody a krajiny ČR – AOPK ČR), is planting one new tree for every customer that activates electronic billing. The trees will be planted where nature is most valued – especially in protected regional areas (chráněný krajinný oblastech – CHKO) throughout the throughout the Czech Republic. By the middle of next year, the partners are preparing to plant 500,000 trees, primarily beech, oak, and fir trees. With this initiative, Vodafone is enabling AOPK ČR to continue its efforts to increase the diversity of the country’s flora despite reductions in public funding.

In March Vodafone began to offer most postpaid customers the option of receiving electronic billing. Customers who need or want their bills in paper form can have them delivered free of charge. For every customer who decides to protect the environment by receiving electronic billing, Vodafone will plant a tree.

AOPK ČR is planting these trees in seventeen CHKOs and in two regions situated outside of CHKOs. The new seedlings will cover every region of the Czech Republic. The locations that were carefully selected for planting have been altered in such a way that today they are lacking their previous variety. Therefore, it is necessary to support their transformation into healthier, more varied forests. Trees that were originally found in each reason will be planted accordingly.

“We are trying to treat nature with respect; therefore, since March we have been offering customers the option of receiving electronic billing only. Together we are saving up to six tons of paper per month,” says Přemysl Filip, Senior Manager of Corporate Responsibility, Vodafone.

“Thanks to the joint financing of Vodafone and AOPK ČR, many of our projects aiming to improve the diversity and ecological stability of our forests will not be significantly limited,” adds František Pelc, Director of AOPK ČR.

For more information, please contact:

Miroslav Čepický, Vodafone Spokesman - miroslav.cepicky@vodafone.com, 775 011 288
Jitka Kozubková, Public Relations – jitka.kozubkova@nature.cz, tel: 724 223 295

Vodafone - www.vodafone.cz

Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic – www.nature.cz

Upcoming information about planting

In the first phase of the planting, Vodafone is prepared to plant 500,000 new trees in the following Protected Areas and regions: