Case Studies

Mexico City’s 20 million inhabitants make it one of the most densely populated places on earth – and one of the most polluted. The space is so limited that trees are a very rare sight. A team of HSBC employees realised the detrimental effects of this lack of green space and set up a community initiative to tackle the problem – Impacto Verde, or Green Impact.

The members of the group had attended a two-week Earthwatch project and wanted to apply their new skills in their own community. In association with environmental organisation FUNACOMM, the group identified a site just outside Mexico City for the reforestation project. The farmers living in the area had been cutting down the forest in an attempt to enlarge their farms and increase their incomes. However, they understood the negative ecological effects of the deforestation and agreed to help with the project. Once the team had the agreement of the local community, they organised a tree-planting day.

Over 200 HSBC employees and local farmers planted 5,000 pine trees in just one day, creating green space and fulfilling the project’s aims. Subsequently, additional unexpected benefits have arisen – the green space is now an attractive place for visitors, providing customers to whom the farmers can sell their crafts and produce and supplement their income. The visitors themselves can enjoy the natural beauty of the site and further developments may include the building of ecologically-friendly houses in which visitors can stay.

Perhaps the greatest impact was on the Monarch butterflies. From August to October every year, Monarch butterflies migrate from Canada to Mexico. This long and dangerous journey had been made even more perilous in recent years due to human encroachment along the migration path. The Impacto Verde site, however, is now one of three migratory ‘safe havens’ created by HSBC employees for the Monarch butterflies.