The power of trees

The events of 2025 have shown starkly that we are living through a climate and nature crisis that is placing unprecedented pressure on both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.

At the International Tree Foundation, planting trees is central to our response to the climate crisis. Working alongside communities to grow and plant the right trees, in the right places, remains at the heart of our mission and has done for more than a century.

But trees rarely deliver their full potential in isolation. Across our programmes, tree planting is integrated into a wider set of activities designed to build resilience and restore ecosystems in ways that endure. Community-run nurseries create local ownership. Agroforestry improves soil health while increasing food production and farm incomes. In drylands and degraded forests, water harvesting, soil restoration and careful site management underpin long-term survival. Alongside this, our work brings in practical solutions that improve daily life while reducing pressure on forests, like fuel-efficient eco-stoves that need less firewood and improve air quality.

Within this report, we also highlight women’s empowerment. This is not an add-on to our work; it’s central to effective restoration. In many communities, women manage natural resources yet have the least access to land, training and income. When women are supported, trees are better cared for, nutrition improves and income is reinvested. We have seen this first-hand – increased confidence and decision-making power leads to healthier landscapes and more resilient families. Supporting women in our work is simply about making the work effective and ensuring lasting impact.

Care and quality are vital to our work. We are focused on making every pound go further. Our model is built on partnership, working with trusted local organisations who understand their landscapes and can deliver efficiently. Rather than short-term planting, we invest in skills, systems and local ownership so trees survive and benefits continue long after funding ends. With over 80% tree survival rates and a strong track record of increasing incomes and yields, we prioritise approaches that deliver multiple outcomes at once. Careful monitoring, community-led design and a century of experience mean we focus resources where they make the greatest difference. The result is practical, lasting change that represents strong value for money, both for communities and for funders seeking meaningful impact.

As climate impacts intensify, the need for restoration that is thoughtful, locally led and built to last has never been greater. Our work tells the story of trees planted with purpose that bring lasting prosperity for people and nature.

James Whitehead, CEO