Since 2023, SumUp has been supporting the Wilderness International Foundation in its mission to protect the last intact primeval forests on our planet as part of 1% for the Planet . The SumUp forest in the Madre de Dios region of Peru protects valuable rainforest and with it the habitat for a huge diversity of species, as well as enabling a healthy climate.
How many square meters of forest can we protect together?
As a leading global financial technology company, SumUp is committed to making a positive impact on the world and empowering people. SumUp's ESG initiative focuses on the environment, education and entrepreneurship. In 2022, SumUp became the first major fintech company to sign up to the 1% for the Planet pledge.
Expedition to the SumUp rainforest: over 300,000 m² protected forever.
The protected areas are located in the Madre de Dios region of Peru. There are 10 times more reptiles and amphibians there than in Germany, around 10% of all bird species in the world can be observed here and around 400 tree species can be found on one hectare of forest, more than in the whole of Europe north of the Alps.
Weighing up to 75 kg, capybaras are the largest rodents in the world.
Imposing buttress roots provide stability for the jungle's giant trees.
When the sun rises over the rainforest along the Tambopata River, the forest begins to breathe.
Playing giant otters - the largest otters in the world.
Why old-growth forest protection with WI?
What particularly impressed SumUp about Wilderness International was the transparent and concrete use of the donations: €1 donation protects 1m2 old-growth forest - forever. Donors receive a certificate with the geo-coordinates and an aerial photo of the protected forest area, as well as a tax-deductible donation receipt.
Let's continue on this path together and preserve even more unique wilderness in the long term:
You will receive a personalized certificate of the piece of wilderness you protected immediately after your donation.
The foundation, which is based in Peru, Canada and Germany, purchases legally secure wilderness areas and protects them for the future. The purchases are refinanced through donations, which ensure the long-term protection of the areas, supports environmental education projects, and research into CO2 storage and biodiversity.
Wilderness International purchases primary rainforest areas with land title and legally protects them for all future. Donations refinance the purchases and at the same time finance long-term protection as well as environmental education and research. Donors receive a personalized certificate with the exact geo-coordinates and aerial photograph of the forest area they are protecting. Thus, the use and impact of the donation is tangible and directly traceable. We are currently working in the temperate rainforest of Western Canada and the Amazon rainforest of Peru, where we are protecting ancient primary rainforests.
It is important to protect the rainforest because this is the only way we can stop species extinction and climate change. They are home to the world's greatest biodiversity and store huge amounts of CO2. It is also important to protect rainforests because they are the basis of our existence: they provide us with clean air, clean water and stable rainfall. They also cool the environment.
In Canada, good legal security helps us, as well as the legal situations and sanctions that even prohibit trespassing.
In Peru, we have additionally started a forest guardian program with local people. To ensure long-term protection, we also have several other measures in place. In general, we visit the areas on regular expeditions to check on them. We also work with local partners who inform us of any irregularities if necessary. The donations per square meter also already include the costs for property taxes.
Like no other, the legal form of the foundation allows a (charitable) purpose to be realized permanently and independently of outside interests, thus achieving the desired effects in the long term. It is thus the most long-term organizational construct currently known. Not even states, companies or national parks are designed for such a long term. This makes the foundation the only one that is oriented toward the lifespan of the ecosystems we protect.
