Lenzing initiated a project in Albania designed to promote sustainable forestry and improve local living conditions. As a best practice example, 20 hectares of degenerated land will be recultivated with forest and fruit trees in cooperation with the local population and various NGOs. Moreover, concepts for sustainable forestry will be developed with local schools.

Cooperation with local communities and NGOs

Within the context of the project, the local community will be actively involved in the process in order to ensure a comprehensive transfer of knowledge. The pupils at the Forest School of Shkodra will actively take part in the entire process as a means of learning more about reforestation. Employees of Eco-Social Farm, a facility for people with disabilities located directly below the reforestation area, will take care of the irrigation of the seedlings.

Furthermore, an interdisciplinary cooperation will be carried out with the Austrian school in Shkodra. The reforestation project will serve as the basis for the diploma thesis of the pupils there. In turn, this will contribute to sustainably raising the awareness of pupils and the general public with respect to current challenges in forest management.

The project underlines the commitment of the Lenzing Group to promoting sustainability and enables the company to establish best practice examples for the industry and at the same time to learn for future projects and similar CSR-related activities.