Registry company Computershare has launched the local arm of a campaign to convert annual reports to an electronic format and use some of the savings to plant trees.
The company is trying, through a global Computershare initiative called eTree, to persuade two million local shareholders to get their annual reports online.
In terms of a local partnership with Food & Trees for Africa, for every shareholder who registers online, a contribution will be made to planting trees in under-resourced areas.
Computershare SA CEO Stan Lorge says a listed company registered for eTree will make a one-off R50 contribution to Food & Trees for Africa for each shareholder who switches to electronic delivery.
"A major listed company spends about R200 printing and posting an annual report. Replacing this with electronic communication via eTree not only saves most of these costs but makes a quantifiable contribution to a company`s social responsibility programme.
"The beauty of eTree is that it is good for business and overwhelmingly good for the environment."
He adds that if just 10% of Computershare`s two million registered shareholders choose to go the electronic route, not only will tons of paper be saved, but R10 million will be raised for Food & Trees for Africa.
Food & Trees for Africa CEO Jeunesse Park says all eTree funding is to be channelled to the Trees for Home programme, which plants trees in low-cost housing developments.
"Each R50 contribution will pay for the planting of a tree as well as educational programmes around the value and care for trees," Park adds.
The global campaign has registered almost 450 000 shareholders since its launch in Australia last year, and has funded the planting of more than one million trees in three countries.
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