Aviva Ireland has announced a 400ha native woodland establishment programme to be carried out “over the coming years”.

Aviva will provide €5m in funding to the Nature Trust, a not-for-profit company backed by Coillte and Forestry Partners, a not-for-profit social enterprise founded in 2019 to provide innovative sustainability solutions for corporate partners.

“The funding is the largest the Nature Trust has received to date and will result in the planting of approximately 1.2m native tree saplings,” said an Aviva spokesperson.

“The planting season for the new woodlands will begin this winter and continue over the coming years.

” The woodlands will comprise a mix of native trees that are best suited to each location. Species include oak, birch, holly, alder, rowan, hawthorn, guelder rose, blackthorn and hazel.

"The woodlands will have free open access and will provide a space for the public to connect with nature, exercise and enjoy outdoor activities.

“Sustainability is of strategic importance to Aviva as a business, from purchasing renewable electricity for our offices in Ireland since 2011 to the funding we are providing for this initiative,” said Declan O’Rourke, CEO of Aviva Insurance Ireland.

“No single company can tackle climate change alone and so we are looking to work in partnership with others,” he added.

“We welcome this major funding from Aviva as we are facing a twin climate and biodiversity crisis and this initiative responds to both,” said Ciarán Fallon, managing director of the Nature Trust.

“This is a significant step forward in our mission to increase the level of native woodland cover in Ireland on a large scale.”

The partnership is a biodiversity promotion to increase native woodland cover rather than a carbon trading project, although it will play a part in removing CO2 from the atmosphere.