River of January

Hi there,

Today's spotlight shines on Rio de Janeiro, and since it's January, let's delve into the city's intriguing name for a moment (feel free to skip ahead if you're already familiar with the story!). Named by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos, who in January 1501 mistook Guanabara Bay for a river mouth, the city carries a tale in its name.

Yet, our beloved city, home to our Brazilian offices, now faces a growing challenge with extreme temperature waves. This presents a unique opportunity for city hall to pioneer a global initiative. Discover more in this 12th edition of the MORFO newsletter.

Pascal, Co-founder of MORFO

PS: It's been a year since we started this journey, and with a community of 4,259 subscribers, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for your unwavering support and interest.

🐦 Pilot at Rio de Janeiro

In the 1980s, the municipality of Rio launched the Refloresta Rio program. An area equivalent to 3,600 football fields has been reforested, and more than 10 million plants have been planted across over 200 communities, enhancing biodiversity with over 168 native species.

A few weeks ago, the Municipality got in touch with us to accelerate their reforestation efforts. The adoption of our technologies is part of the contingency plan to mitigate the impact of heatwaves on the population. The first demonstration took place on January 5, attended by notable figures including Eduardo Paes (Mayor) and Tainá de Paula (Secretary of Environment and Climate).

Watch the video

📝 How to include reforestation into your 2024 ESG report

Reforestation might be a key component of your ESG strategy in 2024. In this article, we guide you in identifying the relevant indicators to consider, and it's not just about the number of trees planted (spoiler alert)!

What to include in your 2024 ESG report?

🍪 Seed of the month: Guapiruvu

Guapuruvu is the seed of the month. It is known for its charming oval seeds, holds cultural and spiritual significance, particularly in tropical regions like Brazil. Revered for their aesthetic appeal and positive energies, these seeds are not only used in folk medicine but also play a vital role in rituals and practices connecting people with nature

🏆 Extra news

We are thrilled to announce that MORFO is the winner of the Trillion Trees: Restoration at Scale Challenge! Among 160 global innovations, we have been recognized as a Top Innovator by this prestigious World Economic Forum program. This selection opens the door to incredible opportunities for us.

🔍 We recommend reading…

Just like every month, we end this newsletter with a few articles that we want to share with you:

• Forests with multiple tree species are 70% more effective as carbon sinks than monoculture forests. So, should we reframe carbon credits to better value our forests?
• A new study challenges the belief that nature-based climate solutions are temporary. By analyzing six scenarios, it found that they can reduce land carbon emissions by 41–54% by 2100.
• For the very first time, a study has estimated global private finance flows that directly harm nature. $7 trillion USD spent on activities that harm nature. Only about $200 billion invested in nature-based solutions.
• According to a recent UBS study, a top ESG portfolio would outperform a lower one by 30%.
• When reforesting, everybody wants to maximize environmental, economic and social benefits… But it’s a difficult challenge. That’s why this new study carried out by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute is extremely useful.

🌍 Thank you for reading this newsletter until the end! If you enjoyed it, please share it with your audience, friends, or colleagues. To check us out and follow our social media platforms, please click here!

We'll be back again in February!

The MORFO team