Junge mit gefalteten Händen steht lachend in einer Gruppe Kinder am Fluss.

Climate protection projects in Africa: Our Togo project

Our self-developed heart project shows how climate protection in Africa goes hand in hand with social development through reforestation in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Climate protection projects: our most effective weapon against the climate crisis in Africa too

They not only offset CO₂ emissions that we cannot (yet) avoid - they create real change on the ground. Climate protection projects in Africa in particular show how renewable energies, sustainable agriculture and reforestation can simultaneously reduce emissions and make regions more resilient. They are more than just damage limitation - they are investments in the future.

But where these projects are most urgently needed, they are often the rarest to find. Africa, the continent that is feeling the effects of climate change the hardest, is far too rarely in the spotlight. The increase in agricultural productivity there has fallen by 34 percent due to global warming - putting Africa behind every other region in the world. This is precisely why we need more climate protection projects on the African continent.

This is precisely where our PROJECT TOGO comes in. In one of the poorest countries in the world, our self-developed heart project shows how climate protection in Africa goes hand in hand with reforestation and social development. We are fulfilling 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, creating jobs and planting the future. For a country that has lost over half of its forests. For people who have been forgotten. Come with us to Togo. It's worth it.

Why climate protection projects in Africa are important

"Africa contributes only three percent to global CO₂ emissions - but pays the highest price."

The importance of climate protection projects in Africa for the consequences of climate change

Temperatures are rising faster than the global average, droughts and floods are increasing and harvests are failing. Particularly bitter: agriculture, which is the livelihood of 60 percent of the population, is suffering massively. Loss of productivity, water shortages, soil erosion - the list is long.

What does this mean in concrete terms? Hunger, migration, conflicts over resources. While we in Europe are discussing emissions trading, people in Africa are already fighting for survival. The continent urgently needs support with adaptation measures, early warning systems and sustainable development. Climate protection projects in Africa are not just aid - they are a question of global justice.

Project Togo

PROJECT TOGO is our answer to this. A climate protection project in Africa launched by our founder Andreas Weckwert and developed by ourselves with a lot of passion and sweat. Not an off-the-shelf project, but our own vision, which we have turned into reality step by step. With this climate protection project in West Africa, we have been proving for years that reforestation and social development are not opposites - they reinforce each other.

Fröhliche Gruppe tanzt gemeinsam draußen unter Bäumen.

Togo deserves our attention - and for good reason. The small West African country ranks 168th out of 186 in the Human Development Index, an important prosperity indicator of the United Nations, and has lost more than half of its forests since 1990. Today, less than 6 percent of the country is forested. The consequences: Erosion, drought, declining yields. Climate change is exacerbating the situation - extreme weather is increasing and agriculture, the livelihood of most people, is suffering massively. So why Togo? Because climate protection projects in Africa have a double impact here. Because the people are ready for change. And because we can prove here that climate protection and poverty reduction go hand in hand.
Our approach is simple: we combine active climate protection with the improvement of social structures. Reforestation binds CO₂ - of course. Like many successful climate protection projects in Africa, we are creating an entire ecosystem of education, sustainable agriculture and economic prospects.
What makes PROJECT TOGO so special among climate protection projects in Africa? We focus on diversity instead of monoculture - and not just in terms of trees. From literacy courses and agricultural training to training in traditional crafts: we impart knowledge that lasts. Our women's cooperatives produce local products for local markets. The energy-efficient ovens protect health and forests at the same time. And beekeeping? Creates income and promotes biodiversity.
Success is not only reflected in the figures, but also in changed lives. People who were previously only recipients of aid become entrepreneurs, trainers and multipliers. Villages are developing their own solutions to the challenges they face. That is the goal of sustainable climate protection projects in Africa: once we have made ourselves superfluous.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs for short - were drawn up by the United Nations. They show what we need to do as a global community to live in a fairer, more environmentally friendly and sustainable way. PROJECT TOGO not only takes these goals seriously - they are our roadmap.
- SDG 1: No poverty
  Creating jobs and sources of income
  
  200 beekeepers earn their own money with their beehives for the first time. The women's cooperative turns local raw materials into 7 marketable products.
- SDG 2: No hunger
  Improving agricultural productivity
  Our training courses for improved rice cultivation and yam propagation secure harvests. 37 different plants in the agroforestry instead of monoculture.
- SDG 3: Health
  Smoke-free stoves protect against respiratory diseases
  100 families now cook smoke-free. First aid courses in 2 villages - where the nearest doctor is hours away.
- SDG 4: Education
  Education and knowledge transfer
  Literacy classes every Monday. 8+ different training programs. Trainees from Togo learn sustainable techniques.
- SDG 5: Gender equality
  Empowerment of women
  Women's cooperative creates economic independence. Women are trained as entrepreneurs.
- SDG 6: Clean water
  Forests improve water balance
  6 wells built. WASH training courses show how clean water stays clean. Reforestation protects groundwater.
- SDG 7: Affordable energy
  Energy-efficient cooking stoves
  40% less wood consumption per family. 2.5 tons of CO₂ saved per stove per year.
- SDG 8: Decent work
  Fair jobs in various sectors
  Stove builders, beekeepers, tree nursery gardeners - all local jobs with a future. No child labor, fair pay.
- SDG 9: Industry, innovation
  Local value chains
  From raw material to product - all local. Recycling project develops solutions for plastic waste.
- SDG 12: Sustainable production
  Promoting a circular economy
  Syntropic agroforestry instead of monoculture. Local materials for stove construction. Waste becomes a resource.
- SDG 13: Climate protection
  CO₂ sequestration and climate adaptation
  Thousands of trees planted. Syntropic agroforestry makes agriculture climate-resilient.
- SDG 15: Life on land
  Biodiversity conservation
  217 plant species recorded in the project area. Fallow land becomes forest again with 58 native tree species.
A project lives from its people. Our climate protection project in Africa only works because everyone pulls together:
- eco-cent Togo - our team on site. They are the link between vision and reality, coordinate all activities, speak the local language and know the needs of the people. Without them, PROJECT TOGO would just be an idea.
- The local population - the heart of the project. They plant, nurture and benefit. Without their commitment and knowledge, nothing would be possible
- natureOffice - We as initiator and coordinator. As experts in climate protection projects in Africa, we develop, finance and support them. But always with the aim of making ourselves superfluous.
- Local craftsmen and trainers - They pass on their knowledge and create multipliers. Sustainability through education.
- Companies as sponsors - They make the project possible through company forests and compensation. And they show: Climate protection is a matter for the boss.
- The Togolese government - approvals, support, framework. Nothing works without political will.

The most important key figures from PROJECT TOGO

These successes make our project a showcase example for climate protection projects in Africa.

8
Training programs
Knowledge that lasts: From literacy to first aid. We teach skills that change lives. Every Monday, adults learn to read and write. In courses lasting several days, we show them how to grow rice more efficiently or how to help in an emergency.
37
Plant species tested
Diversity instead of uniformity: our agroforestry is a living laboratory. Out of 37 tested species, 23 winners have emerged. They now grow together and make the soil fertile while binding CO₂.
7
Products made in Togo
Women become entrepreneurs: Palm oil, soap, peanut snacks: the women's cooperative transforms local raw materials into sought-after products. Each of these creates income and independence.
200
Beehives
Humming for the future: hard-working bees, hard-working beekeepers: 200 beehives not only produce honey, but also pollinate plants and thus secure the harvest. A win-win for people and nature.
217
Plant species documented
Biodiversity is alive: our forest is a hotspot of species diversity. 58 different tree species, over 100 woody plants - where there used to be wasteland, there is now an explosion of life.
100
Smoke-free ovens
Health first: No more watery eyes and coughing while cooking. Our efficient ovens save 40% wood and protect 100 families from toxic smoke. 2.5 tons of CO₂ less per year per stove.
6
Wells for clean water
Water march! Our wells supply entire villages with clean drinking water. Combined with WASH training, we ensure that it stays clean.

We can advise you on how you can get involved.

Gruppenfoto kinder erwachsene dorf afrika — Every year we visit PROJECT TOGO with customers and employees,

Mann lichtung laecheln natur afrika — Namati our forester is very concerned about the maintenance and further development of our natural forest

Baumschule setzlinge afrika natur — Every year, many seedlings grow in our tree nursery and wait to find their place in our natural forest in the rainy season.

Kinder handstand dorfplatz spiel afrika — The children in particular benefit from the many social projects such as the construction of wells or support for school construction.

FAQs: Frequently asked questions

The short version: 17 goals to make the world a better place. The SDGs are the UN's master plan for a sustainable future by 2030. From poverty reduction and climate protection to clean water - the goals interlock like cogwheels. The clever thing is that working on one goal often automatically improves others. This is exactly what we do at PROJECT TOGO - and in doing so, we fulfill 12 of the 17 goals.
They are our immediate measure while we work on the big solution. Climate protection projects offset CO₂ emissions that we cannot (yet) avoid. But they can do much more: reforestation cools the local climate, renewable energies replace fossil fuels, sustainable agriculture makes regions more resilient. They are not an excuse to carry on as before - but an important building block in the fight against the climate crisis.
The continent contributes only 3% of global CO₂ emissions, but suffers the most from the consequences. Temperatures are rising faster than the global average and extreme weather is on the rise. In agriculture - the livelihood of 60% of people - productivity has increased by 34% less since 1960 than without climate change. This means hunger, migration and conflicts over resources. This is why climate protection projects in Africa are so important: they not only combat climate change, but also its devastating consequences. It is high time to act.
We turn climate protection into a development program. As one of the most innovative climate protection projects in Africa, PROJECT TOGO combines reforestation with social development. We don't just plant trees, we create prospects: 8+ training programs impart knowledge, 200 beehives generate income, 100 smoke-free stoves protect health and forests. The women's cooperative produces 7 different products, 37 tested plant species grow in the agroforestry. Our goal? A self-sustaining project that fulfills 12 of the 17 SDGs and shows that climate protection projects in Africa can successfully combine climate protection and poverty reduction.