BY DARGIE KAHSAY
“My aspiration is to fully recover a deforested mountain all at my own expense,” says Haile Gebresilassie, the athletic legend who once astonished the world for his unique performance in international long-distance athletics events.
Until he retired from the sport, Haile used to be considered as a man from another planet as no one was able to beat him. At some point, if it is known that Haile is running in the race, people used to question as to who will finish second to him, as no one doubted who will be the first.
Haile was able to make a good fortune from his long-time performance. After retiring from athletics he has been championing in business and investment. He is engaged in Hotel and resort, automotive manufacturing and agroindustry, among others.
Lately, he has announced plans to contribute his share in environmental protection activities that is one of the burning issues of the world at large and the country, too.
Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative, a national ambition to plant over 20 billion trees within four years period is getting recognition and appreciation locally and internationally. Launched in 2019 by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), the Green Legacy Initiative is part of the country’s efforts of combating climate change by increasing the forest coverage of the country.
Ethiopia’s national Green Legacy initiative has multi-dimensional purposes. Increasing the forest coverage of the country from its current 17 percent total coverage to 30 percent within 10 years, to increase the coverage of commercial forests for income purpose, to maximize the coverage of vegetables and fruits and also animal feeds like fodder and grass. In addition, by protecting the ecology and ecosystem of environments, it aims to develop ecotourism and attracting more local and foreign visitors. In addition to local and national advantages, the massive Green Legacy initiative’s ambition is to contribute its responsibility at the international level in combating climate change by protecting nature.
Considering this in mind, by mobilizing tens of millions of citizens, during the past three years, Ethiopia has planted over 18 billion seedlings. Similarly, on the ongoing fourth year Green Legacy plantation season, Ethiopia striving to plant over 6.7 billion seedlings, more than half of the plan for this rainy season already achieved so far. Every Ethiopian citizen and residents of the diplomatic community in Ethiopia are attending the Green Legacy initiative.
While launching this year’s Green Legacy initiative in mid-June, Prime Minister Abiy calls all citizens to actively engage in the seedling plantation while call a 100 seedling challenge for high officials and public figures.
Praising the country’s Green Legacy initiative, the Ethiopian long-distance running king, Haile Gebresilassie said that he becomes part of the initiative since the initiative was launched. He said that he has been participating in the seedling plantation since the early days of the initiative to fulfill his role as a citizen. Haile calls on investors and generally the private sector to participate in the Green Legacy mobilization to increase the coverage of green areas and to support the country’s journey of building green economy.
Speaking to ENA, Haile stated that planting is investing to help the future generations and as humans, it is the responsibility of everyone to protect the environment. For him refusing to accept the national call to protect our nature by simply planting trees is impossible. As to him, not only during a national campaign, citizens have to be developing the culture of planting trees.
Haile said that he has the culture of planting trees. “I think I am among the front persons in planting trees,” Haile said. Haile noted that he loves to paint and plants adding that “I think I am among the fore runners in planting trees.” Haile is investing in hotel and resort industry and he said that the surrounding of his hotels and resorts are covered by trees. This is not something coincidence, but it is due to love of nature.
Hence, Haile said, he understands the role of the Green Legacy initiative in increasing the forest coverage and green areas of the country which is helpful even for the successfulness of business investments. “The trees planted today will play their role in the life of future generations. These trees would serve up to the coming 100 years and even beyond.” Planting trees for Haile is investing on the health and livelihoods of the coming generations, which are our children and grand children.
“As a citizen, I am participating in the Green Legacy initiative since its inception,” Haile said adding that beyond that “I have a dream to fully reforest a seriously deforested mountain by covering all its recovery costs.” Haile noted that by taking an affected and deforested mountain, he has a vision to reforest it fully covering the cost and necessary inputs to recover it.
This is a new initiative in promoting reforestation and green development which can open an appetite to the private sector investors and public figures in fulfilling corporate social responsibility in the environment sector, in addition to other funds. Haile’s dream of taking personal initiative to recover an affected mountain is a new method in combating climate change by the private sector and individuals.
In addition to directly participating in planting trees to protect the environment, the prominent long-distance runner king, Haile is promoting green economy in his investments. As noted above, the hotel and resort investments of Haile are surrounded by green forests and protecting the ecology. His investment gives due care for a green environment. “If you see my hotels and resorts, they are found within or around green areas and we gave due care for the protection and conservation of these green places.”
Not only had that, his company, Marathon Motors was the first company in Ethiopia in launching the first electric vehicle in Ethiopia.
What makes Marathon’s electric vehicle unique, launched in 2020, is that it is assembled locally and has a plan to increase the number of electric vehicles in Ethiopia. Considering the carbon emission of fuel-based vehicles, Marathon Motors started assembling E-vehicles in Ethiopia for the first time and launched its first E-vehicle. To expand its assembling capacity, the company has a short-term, medium and long-term plans in expanding the production of electric vehicles.
For Haile planting and developing trees is a responsibility of everyone since it serves for the current and future generations. He calls all citizens to plant trees without the need of any campaign or mobilization. But, since the government makes it a national agenda, the general public has to respond positively. Not only individuals, the companies and investors in the private sector have to stand with the government to support the greenery campaign to realize the real vision of the government.
According to the athlete, the development of green areas and forest coverage is the most important thing for all living-beings and even for the sustainability of businesses and investments. Hence, everyone as an individual and the private sector investments as companies should actively participate in the national green legacy initiative.
During the ongoing fourth-year national green legacy season, he continues planting seedlings. According to his interview with ENA, in addition to these efforts, he is planning to reforest and recover a seriously affected mountain covering the full cost for the recovery. As to Haile, due to loss of natural forests, many developed countries are paying unnecessary cost. Similarly, the developing world is also affected by the continued climate change and its devastating impacts. To combat the impacts of climate change, Ethiopia should strengthen its greenery initiative and the response should be from all actors, individuals, the private sector, and the government.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 26 JULY 2022
