Make a paper cut that doesn’t hurt on International Forests Day

Our forests are not only gaining the attention of ‘eco-warriors’, they are also having a powerful impact on children. That’s just one part of the reason why at DocuSign, we're for forests. 

There are many notable international days. So many in fact that it can be all too easy to dismiss them. But, if there’s one that’s definitely worth scrolling back for a longer look, it’s this one. No, we’re not talking about National Bagel Day, we’re talking about the International Day of Forests, and it has never been more important.

Today our  forests are not only gaining the attention of ‘eco-warriors’, they are also having a powerful impact on children. In Davos at the start of the year, inspiring young people helped launch #VoiceForThePlanet, a clear indication of how strongly young people feel about taking action for the environment. This global campaign challenges influential figures to safeguard nature, protect forests and tackle climate change.

We're for Forests

When we have our children taking things into their own hands, things have gone really far. Aren’t our childhoods are supposed to be carefree?

We’ve depleted our forests so much that we have caused a wave of anxiety to emerge through the generation that stands to inherit the world we leave them.

That’s just one part of the reason why at DocuSign, we're for forests.

Of course, theres an intrinsic fit with what we do; we help companies reduce their use of paper.  And, to a large extent it’s why we do it. Our CEO Dan Springer talks openly about how he wouldn’t have been tempted back into leading a company to IPO and on to global growth without this compelling reason. And, we all believe each and every individual has it within their power to make an actual impact on this cause.

It’s not hard to see why we should when you learn that 2.5 billion paper coffee cups are thrown away each year in the UK and less than 1% can be recycled.

It's not too late

Even in this seemingly far gone state of affairs, you can make a difference. It takes seconds to pack your re-usable cup into your bag each morning and if hundreds of thousands of us take that time, we make a wave of difference to the forests which are disappearing at an alarming rate. Between 1990 and 2016, the world lost 502,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers) of forest, an area larger than South Africa.

So you see, Forests matter. Today matters and using paper mindfully really does matter. Whether that's note taking on a cool app like Evernote instead of in your journal, sharing presentations electronically instead of printing handouts, or managing and signing your business agreements without printing them using solutions like DocuSign, you can personally help to stop the devastation of the planet.

Test your own paper usage 'green' score

If you need any more convincing on the impact you can have personally, check out your own paper impact using this online calculator.

On this day, International Forests Day, we are urging you to share posts, be vocal, and we might just stand a chance of being heard collectively.

Jacqueline de Gernier is Area Vice President, Commercial Sales for DocuSign based in London, as well as an avid supporter of environmental causes worldwide.

Published