Aerial view of a wetland with dark water channels, brown peat, and scattered green vegetation

Your impact on the climate and biodiversity

Taking responsibility as a company and effectively protecting habitats

Your contribution matters!

Companies are increasingly being judged on their environmental and social footprint. It is important to take responsibility and to develop genuine solutions within the framework of ESG and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). 

Preserving old, intact but threatened habitats with the highest levels of biodiversity and CO2 sequestration is one way for companies to demonstrate this responsibility. Through a partnership with Wilderness International, you can achieve a measurable impact from your commitment as a nature-based solution for reducing greenhouse gases (ESRS 1 Environment), as a means of promoting biodiversity (ESRS S4) and as an economic lever for local communities (ESRS S3).

1 €

Donation

protects

1 m2

Habitat

forever and binds

60 kg

CO2

permanently stored in the forest’s biomass.

Your points of contact

Get in touch

Our Impact Report: How we make a difference with your help.

In our latest impact report covering the years 2008 – 2025, you’ll find a transparent account of the measurable nature conservation targets we’ve achieved through the commitment of our donors and partners in tropical and temperate rainforests, the research projects we’re supporting in Canada and Peru, and the key scientific insights we’ve already been able to draw from them.
Open brochure and magazine from Wilderness International displaying project timeline and conservation initiatives spanning 2008-2025.

Discover the results in our impact report 2008–2025:

Set up your company forest

Together with us, you can establish your own corporate forest and protect a specific area of endangered rainforest, which we will then place under permanent protection on your behalf. You decide whether your plot of land should be located within our protected area in Peru or in Canada. From now on, your own donations or, for example, initiatives with your community, your in-house team, etc., will help this corporate forest to grow ever larger. In this way, as a company, you’ll be saving more and more habitat and making a real difference!
Get started now
Hollow tree trunk covered in moss in lush rainforest, surrounded by green foliage and vines

Here’s what you’ll get:

Precise geographical coordinates for the section of woodland you are protecting and a certificate featuring your logo.

An exciting and important topic for your internal and external communications: as a nature conservation partner, you can showcase your commitment on a dedicated partner landing page and engage your customers. We provide our partners with key text, image and video material to support environmental education within their communities.

Example: GERL.
Wilderness protection certificate from Wilderness International for 25 m² of rainforest in British Columbia, featuring a wolf and forest images.

  • Nature Conservation Partners

    Donations of 10,000 m² or more per year

    As a nature conservation partner, you’ll join us on a long-term mission to protect the environment:

    • Establish a corporate forest, run your own fundraising campaign on wilderness-international.org
    • Various donation options
    • CO2 offsetting available
    • Donation certificate featuring your company logo
    • Environmental education pack (text, images and video material)
    • Customisable partnership arrangements
    Find out more

  • Nature Conservation Supporter

    Donations of up to 10,000 m² per year

    As a Nature Conservation Supporter, we help you to easily manage your corporate donation yourself: 

    • Make your own donation using the donation form 
    • Various donation options
    • CO2 offsetting available
    • Donation certificate available for direct download 
    • Supporter logo & environmental education materials
    Find out more

More details

In this presentation, you’ll find the key information about working with us clearly laid out, so that you can convince the rest of your team too.
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We have been confirmed to be effective.

The Phineo ‘It Works!’ seal confirms that our work has a demonstrable impact and that we are a high-performing and transparent organisation. As a partner, you can therefore be sure that your contribution will be put to effective use here.
WIRKT! seal showing certification as a proven and recommended effective organization by PHI NEO, September 2023.

Report confirms: effective forest protection

Expert report by BAUM e.V.: Wilderness International has been shown to operate effectively, transparently and in a way that ensures long-term protection. Our foundation’s work is described as “a forward-looking model for the protection of wilderness areas”.
About the report
Middle-aged man with grey hair crouches in dense jungle vegetation, examining plants with a green tablet in hand.

A systematic approach to nature conservation: how other companies do it

1 per cent for forest conservation

Create your own nature reserve by establishing your own corporate forest – using 1 per cent of your turnover.
Safeguard habitats and protect species for ever, and give something back to nature! Donate 1 per cent of your annual turnover, establish a corporate forest and let it continue to grow every year in Peru and/or Canada. In this way, you’ll actively protect our future and demonstrate genuine responsibility to your community. Just like our partner, SumUp.
Find out more
Aerial view of Amazon rainforest at dawn, with morning mist blanking dense forest canopy and winding river channels below.

1 m2 Rainforest per product

Boost your turnover whilst protecting the world’s most biodiverse forests: 1 m2 per product sold. With every product sold, protect 1 m2 of old-growth forest – forever! For every order, or once a certain price is reached, one square metre of wilderness is preserved. If you wish, your customers can receive a code from you to redeem their own certificate, featuring the exact geographical coordinates.
This is how ORTLIEB does it
Man in hat and dark clothing positioning a yellow waterproof duffel bag on a lake shore with forest in the background.

CO2 offsetting

Offset your remaining carbon footprint by protecting endangered forests – transparently and effectively. Reduce your carbon footprint and offset what’s left! m2 of protected area sequesters 60 kg of CO2. For €16.70, you can safeguard a forest that stores 1 metric tonne of CO2 – and, in doing so, protect the last remaining intact habitats for countless animal and plant species. Many companies even share the CO2 offsetting with their customers – as does our partner DIAMIR.
This is how DIAMIR does it
Two women plant a seedling together in soil, both wearing red shirts and smiling while gardening outdoors.

The Forest as a Gift

Give the gift of something meaningful that will last forever!
A gift with a real impact! Make the most of occasions such as Biodiversity Day, Christmas or birthdays to help protect the last remaining intact habitats for staff, partners and/or customers. You’ll receive personalised certificates showing the exact geographical coordinates of the protected area – a sustainable gift that will last forever for you, the recipient and future generations!
This is how DIAMIR does it
Lush rainforest canopy with sprawling trees covered in moss and dense green foliage under misty skies

Community Forest

Make your community a proud part of your mission!
Inspire your community and get them actively and personally involved! With our innovative way of giving away codes, you can work together to protect the wilderness. You can include these codes with orders, send them out in newsletters, or use them for competitions and loyalty schemes. Customers redeem their code, receive precise geographical coordinates and aerial photographs, and can even extend their protection further. Simple, personal, effective.
That’s how WACKEN does it
Four people pose for a group photo in front of a massive tree trunk in a lush jungle setting.

Donation Matching Scheme

Make a bigger difference together – double the donations and thus the impact!
Become an enabler! Set a maximum amount and double the donations from your community and the Wilderness International community. 5 m2 becomes 10 m2, and 10 m2 becomes a full 20 m2! Boost the visibility of your commitment and make it perfect for occasions such as Rainforest Day, Christmas, Easter or Mother’s Day. Greater impact, wider reach – twice as good!
Contact us
Two black orcas surface together in calm ocean water, their tall dorsal fins cutting through the sunlit sea.

Corporate run

Combine exercise, team-building, fun and effective environmental protection with your company’s run for the wilderness! Together, you’ll clock up laps or kilometres to help preserve unique habitats for ever. You’re free to organise your company run however you like, whilst we’ll be on hand to help with the planning. At the end, your staff will receive personalised certificates featuring the GPS coordinates of their protected area, helping your company’s forest to grow!
Contact us
Runner in muddy athletic shoes jogging on grass beside a concrete path

Targeted projects

Fund targeted aid or educational projects in the heart of the world’s most biodiverse forest! 
Associate your company, foundation, family office or family name forever with a specific aid or educational project in collaboration with local communities, indigenous peoples and Wilderness International. These could include projects such as building a canopy tower as a research base, running educational courses for local school classes, installing camera traps in the treetops for biodiversity monitoring, or the targeted mapping and protection of ironwood trees, which provide natural nesting holes for macaws. We’d be happy to discuss this with you individually.
Contact us
Research team in rainforest discussing conservation data with local guides surrounded by dense tropical vegetation.

Everything at a glance

In this brief overview, we have compiled all the key information for you – to give you some food for thought and help you make a decision.
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What our partners say

We are committed to protecting wilderness areas to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change, as we, as a tourism company, bear a special responsibility for protecting the environment.That is why we have been working in close partnership with Wilderness International since 2016 to make a sustainable contribution through the purchase of rainforest areas in Canada and Peru.
Dominik Günther Office Manager and Authorised Signatory, DIAMIR Adventure Travel
Our partnership with Wilderness International is based on a shared vision: to view sustainability not merely as an obligation, but as an opportunity to make a positive difference. We want to show that businesses can help shape real change – by taking responsibility and encouraging others to follow our example.
Prof. Dr. Henning Richter Owner of GERL.
We recognise that the fight against climate change must not be limited solely to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is just as important to preserve and restore natural carbon sinks – as Wilderness International does. This partnership is a concrete example of our long-term commitment to environmental protection.
Angélique Vacher Sustainable Development Manager, Caudalie
Since 1994, we at AMPri have stood for reliable quality, social responsibility and sustainable practices. In Wilderness International, we have a strong partner at our side who shares our values and supports us in measurably reducing our environmental footprint – for a future worth living.
Ben Peters Managing Director, AMPri
We share a common vision with Wilderness International: to help young people appreciate the value of our natural world and to empower them to take responsibility themselves. Together, we have preserved over 500,000 metres of rainforest in Canada and Peru for future generations. This has enabled us to give many school classes the opportunity to engage in-depth with sustainability and global responsibility.
Daniela Loichen Sustainability Officer at HEROLÉ School Trips
Wilderness International stands for authentic sustainability and is therefore the ideal partner for us to make a real difference in this area. This is also evident in the area of CO2 credit trading. Like us, Wilderness International has opposed the current trading of CO2 credits, as this is not yet regulated and is frequently criticised as greenwashing.
Peter Wöstmann Senior PR & Communications Manager

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Your commitment contributes to these SDGs

With us, every donation not only protects forests – it also supports 9 of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals for peace and prosperity for people and our planet. You can find out exactly how in the article.
Find out more
UN Sustainable Development Goals 10, 11, 4, 15, 13, 12, 6, 17, and 14 displayed as coloured squares with icons against a leafy green background.

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Our partner network

Find out more

Your points of contact

Frequently Asked Questions for Businesses

  • How does WI select its collaboration and business partners?

    We are constantly building new partnerships. Through these alliances, the movement is growing ever wider and our work is having a greater impact and reaching a wider audience. You can find our current partners here. We carefully vet all partnerships from the outset, as we only wish to work with companies that share our values and goals. We do not want to contribute to companies simply ‘greenwashing’ themselves by working with us. You can find more information about working with Wilderness International here. If you have any suggestions or contacts, or if you’d like to establish a partnership with your organisation, simply send us an email at kontakt@wilderness-international.org.

  • Why doesn’t Wilderness International have the DZI charity seal of approval?

    In March 2015, our Foundation Council and Executive Board decided that Wilderness International would not apply for the DZI charity seal, but would instead join the Transparent Civil Society Initiative. This decision is based, amongst other things, on the recommendations for action set out in the master’s thesis by our long-standing Chair of the Foundation Board, Ellen Weiland, on the topic of ‘Responsible Management in the Foundation Sector – Deriving Recommendations for Action Using the Example of Wilderness International’.

    Key points arguing against applying for the DZI Donation Seal:

    • Misallocation of donation funds to cover the costs of applying for certification
    • a high workload and financial burden for a small foundation run like an NGO

    “In addition to examining the state of the relationship of trust between the stakeholders and the foundation, it was necessary to clarify whether it is ethically correct to spend part of the donations collected on the costs of applying for the DZI Donation Seal. From the foundation management’s perspective, this amounts to a misuse of funds, as the management fulfils its responsibility to use the donated funds for their intended purpose in a very specific and correct manner and should not have to factor in any costs in the form of time and resources for submitting the extensive documentation required to apply for the donation seal.” – Ellen Weiland, Senior Manager in the Charitable Sector – Deriving a recommendation for action using Wilderness International as an example

    Furthermore, there are also large, very well-known organisations recognised as charitable that do not hold a DZI donation seal, such as BUND, WWF and Grüne Liga.

    Since 2023, however, we have held the PHINEO Wirkt! seal, of which we are very proud. Find out more here: What is the PHINEO Wirkt! seal?

    To reassess our impact, we also commissioned a comprehensive process assessment from BAUM e.V. in the spring of 2025. BAUM is a non-profit business network in Europe that promotes sustainable business practices and climate protection. The assessment was carried out by Rainer Kant, a qualified forester and Senior Advisor for Biodiversity and Ecosystems at BAUM e.V., one of Germany’s leading sustainability experts in this field. You can find out more about the assessment here.

  • How can businesses benefit from collaboration?

    As our climate gets hotter every year, more and more consumers are choosing to protect the planet through their spending. Millennials and Generation Z, in particular, see sustainability as an important factor when choosing which companies to buy from. So, if companies become more environmentally friendly, they can also boost their popularity among these groups.

  • Is it possible to protect (primary) forests in Germany too? If so, why doesn’t WI do that?

    When it comes to the global climate and the conservation of biodiversity, protecting the temperate and tropical rainforests in Canada and Peru is a significantly more effective lever – or, rather, a greater and faster one – than the forests in Germany. Yet we have very little time left to protect the Earth’s last remaining primeval forests before they disappear forever. The loss of these forests would not only mean that they could no longer fulfil their global ecosystem services, but also that huge quantities of CO2 would be released into the atmosphere, which would have catastrophic consequences for our climate. 

    In Peru and Canada, there are still intact ecosystems and primeval forests with a high level of biodiversity and trees that are thousands of years old. We are not currently protecting any forests in Germany because, unfortunately, there are no comparable wilderness areas of significant size here and hardly any primeval forest remains. Thanks to the comparatively low purchase price, we can use less money to provide permanent, legally secure protection for very large, ecologically valuable areas in Peru and Canada. In Germany, these primeval forests first need to be restored, as in recent decades forests have been converted into forestry monocultures, much like in industrial agriculture. 

    Nevertheless, it naturally makes sense to protect German forests as well. For us, it is not a question of ‘either/or’, but rather of ‘both/and’. Protecting smaller, fragmented areas is generally more expensive, as the administrative and maintenance costs are higher. Added to this are stricter regulations and significantly higher land prices. Our projects in Germany focus primarily on environmental education. 

    If you want to protect forests in Germany, we can recommend the Primeval Forest Project run by Peter Wohlleben’s Forest Academy. This project clearly demonstrates that it is considerably more expensive to protect forests in Germany. Furthermore, these forests are not protected indefinitely, but only for 30 years. However, that does not mean that forests in Germany do not also need to be protected!

About Wilderness International

The foundation, which has offices in Peru, Canada and Germany, acquires wilderness areas in a legally secure manner and protects them for the long term. These acquisitions are funded by donations, which ensure the long-term protection of the areas and enable environmental education projects and research into carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
Find out more
Large group of wildlife researchers and birdwatchers with binoculars, umbrella, and equipment gathered in lush green surroundings