Air Liquide China to plant 100,000 Saxaul Trees in Alxa, Inner Mongolia

On March 17, 2021, Air Liquide China kicked off a new CSR project called "Air Liquide Saxaul Forest" in Alxa, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Through a donation of RMB 1 million yuan, Air Liquide China will work with SEE Foundation to plant 100,000 Saxaul trees in Alxa, covering around 1.5 million square meters.

In recent years, the local government of Inner Mongolia has encouraged planting trees in dry areas to combat desertification, boost biodiversity and improve living environment. Adapted to harsh weather, Saxaul, also called Haloxylon, is often a first choice for forestation in the desert. It has long grown roots, often twice or three times the length of branches above ground, to absorb water deep down. Thanks to this characteristic, one Saxaul tree can stabilize 10 square meters of sand. Saxaul trees also offer natural habitat to the saxaul sparrow birds, and its roots host a type of herbal medicine named cistanche which is of high medicinal and economic value. Moreover, Saxaul trees can absorb carbon dioxide, contributing to reduction of carbon emissions.

Air Liquide China has carried out "Green Action", an annual tree-planting campaign, since 2009. Present in over 40 Chinese cities, Air Liquide employees organize their own or participate in local tree-planting activities every year. Meanwhile, they also take part in the corporate sustainable lifestyle initiative like "Green Mobility Day" to reduce carbon emissions from their daily commuting.

Zhang Li, Secretary-general of SEE Foundation, commented: "We are glad to reach a consensus and establish cooperation with Air Liquide China in the field of desertification prevention and response to climate change. SEE Foundation is committed to building a social protection platform on which enterprises, environmental protection organizations, and the public join together and take actions to alleviate and solve environmental problems. We will work with Air Liquide China to jointly promote environmental protection and sustainable development with concrete actions."

Nicolas Poirot, Air Liquide China President and CEO, said: "We are happy to partner with SEE Foundation to plant trees in Inner Mongolia to reduce carbon emissions and combat desertification. Over the decades, China has been dedicated to forestation to mitigate air pollution and carbon emissions. With the fight against global climate change at the heart of Air Liquide strategy, we will continuously contribute to sustainability through our concrete climate actions."