From left to right: Runa Khan - Founder of the NGO Friendship, Laurent Zahles – Chairman of the Management Board at Banque Raiffeisen, Patrick Losch - Chairman of the Foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur from natur&ëmwelt.
In 2021, Banque Raiffeisen launched a unique initiative to contribute to longterm environmental protection. In collaboration with the Foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur from natur&ëmwelt and the NGO “Friendship Luxembourg”, the cooperative bank set the goal of planting at least 15,000 trees each year in Luxembourg and Bangladesh. Banque Raiffeisen’s sustainable VISA cards are the central means by which this initiative – which has been a resounding success – is implemented. Indeed, on 22 April 2025, the 100,000th tree was officially planted at the head office in Leudelange.
As a leading cooperative financial group in Luxembourg, Banque Raiffeisen offers high-quality financial products to its private and commercial customers. In addition, the Bank strives constantly to align its offer with the ecological awareness requirements of its customers.
In 2021, it therefore launched the new sustainable VISA credit cards, only available in Luxembourg, which allow its customers to contribute actively to protecting the environment.
One tree planted for every 200th credit card transaction
For the past four years, Banque Raiffeisen, in partnership with the Foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur from natur&ëmwelt and the NGO “Friendship Luxembourg”, has been committed to planting a tree in Luxembourg or Bangladesh for every 200th transaction made with a VISA card. In addition, the over 50,000 members of Raiffeisen have access to a loyalty programme, which allows them to collect points that can be used, among other things, to fund the planting of an additional tree.
The symbolic planting of the 100,000th tree, which took place on 22 April 2025 at the head office of Banque Raiffeisen, marked a significant milestone in this initiative.
Reforestation of the Luxembourg forests
In Luxembourg, the tree planting initiative focuses on climate protection and the preservation of biodiversity. Clear-felling, browsing by game and the ecological damage caused by bark beetles are significant threats to Luxembourg’s tree heritage. Yet, forests play an essential role in the fight against climate change, the regulation of the water cycle and the purification of the air. They also provide a habitat for wildlife and recreational areas for humans. The protection and preservation of our forest heritage is therefore essential.
Unlike the spruce monocultures that dominate the Oesling, mixed forests are more resistant and promote biodiversity. For this reason, the planting of oak and flowering trees is particularly important. Through targeted reforestation measures and the establishment of succession zones, the Foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur from natur&ëmwelt is working to revitalise the ecological functions of Luxembourg’s forests. Since 2021, the foundation develops plots of mixed forest in the vicinities of Asselborn, Wiltz, Kautenbach and Biwisch, which will reach an area of 1,800 ares by the end of 2025.
Mangroves to protect waterways
The situation is a little different in Bangladesh where the NGO “Friendship Luxembourg” is planting mangroves. They are essential in this tropical country, as the mangrove filtration system protects both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, while preventing seawater from entering inland waterways.
By the end of 2024, a total of € 408,300 had been raised through the use of Banque Raiffeisen VISA cards, which were donated to the Foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur from natur&ëmwelt. Of that amount, a sum of € 216,000 was allocated to the NGO “Friendship Luxembourg” for the planting of mangroves in Bangladesh, while the remainder was used to finance reforestation projects in Luxembourg.
A lasting partnership in the service of nature conservation
“More broadly, the initiative also aims to reduce CO₂ in the atmosphere in order to help mitigate the negative impacts of climate change around the world. It is also for this reason that we are very grateful for the support of Banque Raiffeisen, which has enabled us to launch this important initiative,” said Patrick Losch, Chairman of the Foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur from natur&ëmwelt.
For Laurent Zahles, Chairman of the Management Board of Banque Raiffeisen, the initiative is perfectly in line with the financial institution’s environmentally and socially responsible approach:
"Banque Raiffeisen offers a wide range of products and services which are aligned with ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles and thus contribute to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations. The success of our tree-planting initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Foundation Hëllef fir d’Natur from natur&ëmwelt and the NGO “Friendship Luxembourg”, proves that our customers appreciate this offer and are embracing it!"
Leudelange, 22 April 2025
