Eni has officially launched its large-scale tree-planting campaign in the Massa-Mé forest, marking the operational start of the Conservation & Restoration of Classified Forests (CRCF) project in Côte d'Ivoire. Developed in partnership with Ivorian institutions, this initiative is designed to fight deforestation, protect biodiversity, and create lasting value for local communities.

The project is part of the United Nations’ REDD+ program, which Côte d'Ivoire joined in 2011 to safeguard its rapidly declining forest heritage. Over the past century, the country has lost more than 90 per cent of its forest cover due to human activity, urban expansion, and illegal logging, leading to severe consequences for biodiversity and the forests’ ability to absorb CO₂.

The Massa-Mé campaign represents the first phase of a 30-year plan running from 2025 to 2055, covering 14 classified forests across the Lagunes and Comoé districts with a total area of approximately 155,000 hectares. Carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Forests, the project is set to become one of West Africa’s most significant initiatives in Natural Climate Solutions.

Beyond reforestation, the initiative will strengthen community-based monitoring to prevent illegal logging and poaching, while promoting sustainable farming practices to improve local crop yields. Up to 12 million native trees will be planted in abandoned or unused areas, nurtured in community-run nurseries. The program will also support tangible local development projects, including schools, wells, and healthcare facilities, ensuring long-term benefits for surrounding populations.

This effort is part of Eni’s broader strategy to advance decarbonization and sustainable development in line with the UN 2030 Agenda. It complements the company’s Baleine project in Côte d’Ivoire, the first net-zero upstream project in Africa Scope 1 and Scope 2, which reduces emissions through cutting-edge technologies and offsets residual impacts via forest restoration and clean cooking programs.

Since entering Côte d’Ivoire in 2015, Eni has delivered the two largest hydrocarbon discoveries in the country, Baleine and Calao, and has continued to invest in energy production, education, training, healthcare, and economic diversification. With the CRCF project, Eni is reinforcing its long-term commitment to combining energy development with environmental protection and community growth.