03 March 2017

Twenergy Forest: the symbol of a socially responsible and sustainable challenge

A motorcycle trip to Nepal with Alicia Sornosa and Twenergy to raise solidarity funds. A route with zero emissions and no carbon footprint and with a social objective.

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“Good morning! Today sees the closure of a socially responsible and ecological journey". This is how Alicia Sornosa wrapped up a wonderful adventure on Twitter. What began as a 7,000 kilometre motorcycle trip to India and Nepal with the aim of raising money for the devastating earthquake of 2015, now ends with the elimination of every trace of CO₂ emitted during the trip. The first motorcycle trip in which the carbon footprint is restored. How? Thanks to the Twenergy forest.

300 trees including holm oaks, stone pines, willows and strawberry trees have been planted in this forest, located in the area of Valdemaqueda, in the heart of the Sierra de Madrid. “These 300 trees are a symbol. One for each sponsor that helped the crowdfunding process aimed at collecting funds for two NGOs in Nepal and one for each child taken in by these organisations in the city of Kathmandu", explained Daniel Romero, head of Twenergy and one of the participants in the reforestation of the area together with children from schools in the Community of Madrid that carry out volunteer work, sponsors of the Asia Zero Emissions project and Alicia Sornosa herself.

All these trees are naturally united to the Twenergy socially responsible project, Endesa's online energy efficiency and sustainability community, which is also managed by Juan Aspas. “We want to eliminate the carbon footprint generated by Alicia during her motorcycle road trip to Nepal for charitable purposes”, he told us. Emissions that accounted for 18 tonnes of CO₂ released into the atmosphere by the motorcycles and which are now being offset with the plantation of the Twenergy forest.

Participants in the Twenergy forest plantation

The location of the new “lung” was not selected just by chance. An area was chosen that was extremely damaged by recent forest fires. In 2012, one of the worst fires every experienced in the Community of Madrid destroyed over 1,500 hectares of forest in this area. The Twenergy Wood is in the surroundings of the “Endesa Wood”, a plantation of trees of various species that was started in 2015 to rehabilitate approximately 20 hectares of the extension affected by the fire in the Valdemaqueda and Robledo area.

“With this project, we are not only restoring the hills by replanting trees that were destroyed in the fire; these trees will eventually absorb CO₂, thus minimising the impact of climate change", pointed out Enrique Enciso, head of Sylvestris, a company that collaborates with this environmental initiative.

The idea of the plantation is to absorb around 40 tonnes of CO₂ over the next 30 or 40 years. And also to register it in the Spanish Climate Change Office confirming that the reforestation in the area was carried out for this purpose.

“We planted the Twenergy forest to offset the emissions released during the Asia Zero Emissions socially responsible project.”

Juan Aspas, head of Twenergy

At Endesa, we have not only led this crowdfunding project and repaired the environmental impact by reducing the carbon footprint emitted into the atmosphere. Over the next few years we shall be maintaining the Twenergy forest to ensure the planned stocking levels for the forest.

At Endesa, we have not only led this crowdfunding project and repaired the environmental impact by reducing the carbon footprint emitted into the atmosphere. Over the next few years we shall be maintaining the Twenergy forest to ensure the planned stocking levels for the forest.

This is just the beginning of a journey. An adventure that served to raise awareness worldwide of the reality of Nepal after the devastating earthquake of 2015. A challenge that has enabled money to be raised for the Sano Sansar orphanage belonging to the Petit Mon Foundation in Kathmandu and for Amics del Nepal. And a sustainable challenge designed to restore the environmental impact caused throughout the 7,000 kilometre journey, 5,000 of which were covered on motorcycles.

Nobody could describe the spirit of this project better than Alicia herself when she presented the journey on her blog: “I want to return the oxygen I stole back into the atmosphere”.