Climate protection projects

Protecting the climate does not start tomorrow – it is already our shared task and responsibility today. Companies play a vital and pioneering leadership role in this effort. Through our climate protection projects, they make a multi-faceted contribution: because at Menschen für Menschen, climate protection and sustainable development go hand in hand.

Our climate protection projects are 100% additional – without social engagement and income from the sale of climate certificates, they would not be feasible.

Our projects go far beyond climate benefits. They create new perspectives, promote education, improve healthcare, create new jobs in structurally weak regions, and sustainably strengthen the living conditions of people in rural Ethiopia.

In this way, the projects not only contribute to climate protection but also support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Amidst the ecological, social, and climatic challenges of our time, the planned climate protection project by Menschen für Menschen in southern and southwestern Ethiopia sends a strong signal: it combines development cooperation with global climate protection, promotes global justice, and protects biodiversity.

Covering an area of up to 7,200 hectares, a resilient ecosystem with great species diversity is being created. The project also contributes to revitalizing one of Africa’s most important biodiversity regions – the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot. The aim is to reforest degraded areas exclusively with native tree species, promote natural regeneration, and at the same time protect the communities in endangered areas from erosion, landslides, and the consequences of climate change.

However, the project goes far beyond traditional reforestation. At its core, it strengthens local communities by providing access to education for children and young people, clean drinking water, the development of sustainable agriculture, improved healthcare, and enhanced economic opportunities – particularly for women and youth.

As the Menschen für Menschen Foundation, we contribute more than 40 years of experience in rural development cooperation in Ethiopia. We have already reached over 6 million people and regenerated thousands of hectares of land together with the local community.

This new project builds on this success with our integrative approach, that equally addresses agriculture, the environment, health, education, and water. At least 80 % of the income from the climate protection project goes directly to the neighbouring communities. Over the project’s lifetime until 2064, more than 2.3 million tonnes of CO₂e can be sequestered. This creates a fair and sustainable cycle that regenerates nature, improves livelihood for local people, and contributes to global climate protection.

Climate protection at Menschen für Menschen is more than just a project. It is a call for cooperation – inviting businesses, philanthropists, and committed citizens to join us. Together, we can develop new models for climate protection and social justice – locally rooted, globally impactful.