Technology firm CGI has revealed a new UK-wide initiative – No Planet B – to plant one tree for every UK-based employee.

CGI’s new UK-wide initiative, entitled No Planet B, will see 5,500 trees planted in the Scottish Borders – one for every CGI worker in the UK. Coinciding with National Tree Week, the scheme to reforest land is in partnership with Forest Carbon and the Borders Forest Trust.

Lindsay McGranaghan, CGI’s Business Unit Leader in Scotland, planted the first of thousands of native trees and shrubs – including Birch, Oak, Rowan and Willow – on former farmed land owned by Borders Forest Trust at Talla and Gameshope Estate, near Tweedsmuir, Peeblesshire.

Lindsay said she was “extremely proud” that the Borders – where CGI has one of its four offices in Scotland – had been chosen as the ideal UK site to plant the 5,500 trees.

Lindsay was joined by Michael Herron, Leader of CGI UK’s Government Business Unit and senior leader responsible for Environmental Issues in the UK, Corporate Social Responsibility Lead Philippa Green, James Hepburne Scott, co-founder and director of Forest Carbon, and Andy Wilson, site officer for Borders Forest Trust.

Site officer for Borders Forest Trust, Andy Wilson said: “(The) Trust bought the 1800 hectare Talla and Gameshope Estate in 2004 with the aim of ecological restoration on a landscape scale. The first phase of this was completed in 2019 with 45 hectares of native broadleaf woodland. We are delighted that CGI has contributed to the second phase of this programme.”

Michael Herron, CGI senior leader responsible for Environmental Issues in the UK added: “It’s really important that we make climate change our business and, as a corporate body, do everything we can to help tackle it. As well as supporting our environment, trees do so much for the wellbeing of our communities, our clients and our members.”

James Hepburne Scott, of Forest Carbon, who are working in partnership with CGI and the Borders Forest Trust said: “Forest Carbon has been creating new woodlands in the UK on behalf of companies since 2006. We make sure the right trees are planted in the right place. We are delighted that CGI has chosen to plant 5,500 native trees in the Borders, and hope more firms will get behind forward-thinking initiatives like these that offer tangible social and environmental benefits.”

The move followed a consultation by Tara McGeehan, President of CGI’s UK Operations, who asked its UK workforce their opinion as to the best way to show CGI’s commitment to supporting the environment and tackling climate issues. CGI’s members backed the idea to plant a tree for each of CGI’s 5,500 UK employees, thereby offsetting the carbon emissions from the firm’s flights to and from the UK for 2018.

Tara said: “We are proud to support National Tree Week and encourage communities across the UK to get planting trees to help the environment. Many thanks also go to Forest Carbon as well as the Borders Forest Trust for helping us secure the perfect site to plant our 5,500 trees for our 5,500 UK members.”

More than 2,500 saplings have also been made available for members to plant in parks, schools, care homes and nature reserves they have nominated as part of the scheme. So far, nearly 70 members have applied, and more are being encouraged to take part.

Tracey Logan, Chief Executive of Scottish Borders Council, said “Protecting the environment is one of our core priorities at the Council and I am delighted our IT partners at CGI are undertaking this very generous gesture to contribute to our beautiful landscape in the Scottish Borders.”