The Amazon is a living system of global importance. It is home to nearly 13% of all known species on Earth and stores vast carbon reserves that, if released into the atmosphere, would be equivalent to between 15 and 20 years of global CO2 emissions. Its forests generate “flying rivers” that carry rainfall across South America, sustaining agriculture, freshwater supplies and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. In addition, the Amazon contains approximately one quarter of the world’s available freshwater.
Spain’s Inditex has partnered with Conservation International to protect the Amazon, investing about €6.5 million (~$7.43 mn) between 2026 and 2028.
The initiative will support new and existing protected areas covering over two million hectares across six South American countries, helping conserve biodiversity, safeguard Indigenous territories and strengthen climate resilience.
Today, deforestation has already resulted in the loss of 15% of the Amazon’s forest cover. Scientists estimate that if deforestation reaches 20–25% of the biome’s area, it will trigger a tipping point with irreversible global consequences for the climate, biodiversity, and the survival of Indigenous communities living in the region.
In recent years, Inditex has collaborated with Conservation International through the Mountains to Mangroves project to develop strategic plans promoting the conservation and restoration of the Eastern Himalayas’ biological wealth in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal—an area home to more than one billion people and containing one twelfth of the planet’s biodiversity.
Through this agreement, Inditex further strengthens its collaboration with Conservation International, following the strategic partnership established in 2023 when the company joined the Regenerative Fund for Nature, committing €15 million to promote regenerative agriculture and livestock farming practices.
“The Amazon is the largest and most important tropical rainforest on Earth. It stores enormous amounts of carbon, helping to limit global warming; it is one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet, home to millions of people and a source of freshwater for millions more,” said Sebastian Troëng, Executive Vice President of Conservation International. “This collaboration will help demonstrate what is possible when we come together in pursuit of a shared goal: conserving nature for people. Together with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who steward more than 25% of this biome, we hope to protect more of this tropical rainforest and help secure a healthy future both for the communities that depend on it and for global well-being.”
“Taking part in this project alongside Conservation International means contributing to the protection of a territory of enormous importance for biodiversity and for the communities that depend on it. Protecting biodiversity is essential to maintaining the balance of ecosystems and addressing the challenges posed by climate change,” said Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex.
Inditex’s contributions come from funds raised through charges for paper shopping bags and paper envelopes in its stores, an initiative launched by the Group in 2021 to encourage the use of reusable alternatives. This initiative complements other environmental projects developed with partner organisations, including improvements to sanitation networks in several Southeast Asian countries in collaboration with Water.org, as well as joint work with WWF to restore threatened ecosystems across Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.
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Fibre2Fashion News Desk
