World Economic Forum Uplink Awards IAHV’s Green Pocket Forests Top Innovator Status

In September 2022, UpLink launched its first Challenge aimed at sourcing innovative and ecopreneurial enterprises that contribute to the conservation, restoration and growth of forests in the United States of America. The challenge was run in collaboration with 1t.org’s US Chapter and American Forests.

Healthy forests are instrumental to addressing some of the most pressing issues of the day: slowing climate change and the loss of biodiversity, advancing social equity and sequestering greenhouse gas emissions. They also provide habitats for wildlife, a clean and abundant supply of water for people, improve air quality and regulate temperatures in cities.

While forest cover in the US has steadily increased by 7.3 million hectares between 1990 and 2020, these trees are under increasing threat. The Trillion Trees: United States Challenge called for ecopreneurs who are tackling these challenges to submit their innovative solutions and business models on UpLink.

After sourcing submissions for nearly two months, an expert panel reviewed all solutions, finally selecting a cohort of nine Top Innovators.