Press release

Sky today launched a three-year campaign with WWF to help save one billion trees in the Amazon.  The campaign, Sky Rainforest Rescue, aims to protect rainforest covering over three million hectares in the state of Acre, Brazil to help combat climate change and preserve the unique habitat and species of the Amazon.

The world’s rainforests are a crucial resource needed to avoid dangerous climate change, as well as a vital ecosystem supporting rich biodiversity.  But today in the Amazon alone an area the size of three football pitches is destroyed every minute. 

Deforestation is causing more greenhouse gas emissions than all the planes, trains, ships and cars in the world put together.  Loss of tropical forests is also threatening the habitat of over 50% of the world’s species and the welfare of some of the world’s poorest populations.

Sky and WWF want to work with the British public to help stop the destruction.  They are calling for donations at www.sky.com/rainforestrescue, with every £10 helping to save 500 trees.  To kick start the project, Sky will match donations pound for pound, up to a joint target of £4 million.  WWF and Sky are also in discussions with funding bodies with the aim of securing further financial support for the project.

Working with the State Government of Acre, Sky and WWF aim to create economic incentives for the local communities that help make the trees worth more alive than dead. The project will enhance Acre’s monitoring capabilities against threats including illegal logging and forest clearance; help local producers to secure fair prices and find new market opportunities for sustainable goods; and establish payments for environmental services, including support for community enterprises.  The initial phase will comprise research and consultation with local groups, before a pilot project is launched in early 2010, which will then be grown to scale.

To support Sky Rainforest Rescue, Sky1 documentary maker Ross Kemp will visit the Amazon rainforest to investigate the reality of deforestation for two documentaries to be broadcast on Sky1 HD in Spring 2010.

This is an example of the wide range of rainforest-focused programming that Sky and its channel partners will be broadcasting across the duration of the campaign.  The first programmes to hit the air include ‘Children of the Amazon’ (on Sky1 and Sky Anytime) and ‘Rivers and Life’ (on Nat Geo Wild HD and Sky Anytime), part of Sky’s ‘Rainforest Week’, which starts on Monday 26 October 2009.

Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s Chief Executive, said: "Rainforests are crucial to the fight against dangerous climate change.  Yet, an area the size of three football pitches is being destroyed every minute in the Amazon alone. We’re asking everyone to join us to help stop this destruction by donating to Sky Rainforest Rescue.  To kick start the project we’re committing to match your donation pound for pound until we reach our target of £4 million."

David Nussbaum, Chief Executive of WWF-UK, added: "Deforestation is not only threatening the survival of species and habitats but is also exacerbating the devastating effects of climate change. WWF and Sky together with the help of the public, can take real steps to halt rainforest destruction, benefit communities and provide a blueprint for future forest management."

Binho Marques, State Governor of Acre, said: "With 88% of Acre covered by rainforest, we are the stewards of a precious global resource.  Our aim is to ensure we develop a sustainable model for protection which works with the needs of our 2,000 isolated rural forest local communities.  Sky Rainforest Rescue is critical to our ability to do that."

The project forms part of a new set of commitments from Sky to help tackle climate change, including an overall target to cut its CO2 emissions by 25% (per £m/turnover) across its business by 2020.  In addition, the company plans to make its buildings 20% more energy efficient and to obtain 20% of its energy requirements for all its owned buildings from onsite renewable energy in the same time frame.  By 2012, Sky will cut the carbon emissions from its fleet of vans by 25% (per van) and carbon emissions from employee business travel by a further 20% (per FTE).

Sky also committed today to cut the total energy consumption of newly installed Sky+HD boxes by 30% by 2012, and will be working with 50 of its most carbon intensive suppliers to help them measure their carbon footprint and reduce emissions further.

For more detail of Sky’s new targets go to: www.sky.com/environment/whatsskydoing

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For more information

Clara Eldridge, Sky
Tel: 020 7705 3191
email: clara.eldridge@bskyb.com

Bella Vuillermoz, Sky
Tel: 020 7800 2651
email: bella.vuillermoz@bskyb.com

Robin Clegg, WWF
Tel: 0777 1818 707
email: rclegg@wwf.org.uk

WWF press office
Tel: 01483 412 383

Notes to Editors:

Money can be donated either online at www.sky.com/rainforestrescue, by phone on
0800 369 8422 or via the red button on your Sky remote control.

Acre is a state in the north west of Brazil. It is covered by dense tropical and bamboo forest that supports one of the richest concentrations of species on Earth. This includes jaguars, harpy eagles, pink river dolphins, scarlet macaws, squirrel and howler monkeys, giant otters, grey dolphins, river otters and black caiman. Difficulties of access and tough living conditions cause the State to be scarcely populated, with 700 isolated rural populations.

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption

Sky has been helping to combat climate change for over six years:

Environmental impact is integrated into business decisions. Action is led by our Chief Executive and driven through a company wide Environment Steering Group which he chairs.

We’re currently investing £230 million in the construction of Europe’s most sustainable broadcasting facility, on our Osterley campus in West London.

One of the biggest contributions we can make is to help our 9.4 million customers cut their emissions at home. Where we can, we do the hard work for them, like our world first auto standby for set top boxes, which we estimate is saving customers over 90,000 tonnes of carbon and c.£20 million off their energy bills every year. We also inspire customers to take action through environment-focused content on screen and in our customer magazine, Skymag.

We work with suppliers to help them reduce emissions, like our ‘Carbon Copies’ group of 30 suppliers from the television production community. Working with Pinewood Studios and production company Shine we reduced emissions from the last series of Gladiators by 35%.

We try to help employees go green at home too. Earlier this year, we offered staff free loft or wall cavity insulation for their homes. With Global Action Plan, we run an initiative called ‘Eco Teams’ which, through staff-led groups, is driving down participants’ home energy use by an average of 10%.