MONACO- Green Africa Foundation Chief Steward Dr Isaac Kalua Green has presented the first copy of his new book, Come Back and Check, to Prince Albert II of Monaco as the two foundations seek to deepen their climate and conservation partnership in Africa.
The presentation took place at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco on Saturday during a meeting that reviewed more than 20 years of cooperation between the Green Africa Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
Romain Ciarlet, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, also attended the meeting.
Discussions covered the Green Africa Foundation’s contribution to sustainability initiatives across the continent, its Green Africa Villages model and the progress of its Plant Your Age campaign.
The leaders also discussed Kalua’s new position as Chairman of the Green Nairobi Company, an organisation established to deliver climate and environmental infrastructure and services.
Book challenges tree-planting figures
Published by the Green Africa Foundation, Come Back and Check challenges governments, companies and environmental organisations to measure the number of planted trees that survive instead of focusing solely on planting-day figures.
“For years, we have measured our progress by what we plant on the day of planting, not by what is still standing when no one is watching,” Kalua said.
“This book begins with an audit of my own campaign because I did not think it right to ask any government to check its numbers before I had checked mine.”
Kalua said the Plant Your Age campaign had recorded an estimated 981 million tree-growing contributions since it began in 2011.
However, the book subjects the campaign to a seven-point accountability test and acknowledges that it can fully answer only a fraction of the questions raised about the survival and verification of planted trees.
The book draws on forest recovery in South Korea, farmer-led regeneration in Niger and a government audit in the Philippines.
It proposes several accountability measures, including a “Count What Survives Standard,” an Evidence Ladder and a Living Tree Account that governments, companies and environmental organisations could adopt.
“My appeal to the Kenyan government, and to governments everywhere, is simple: come back and check what you planted before you announce what you plan to plant next,” Kalua said.
Two decades of cooperation
The relationship between Kalua and Prince Albert II spans about 20 years.
Prince Albert visited Green Africa Foundation projects in Kitui County in 2010 and wrote the foreword to Kalua’s earlier book, Green for Life.
During the Monaco meeting, the Prince praised Kalua’s environmental work and pledged continued collaboration.
The two foundations discussed potential areas of cooperation linking the Prince Albert II Foundation’s work on climate change, biodiversity, water and ocean protection with the Green Africa Foundation’s community projects.
“Our renewed focus in Africa involves working with communities to improve livelihoods, as well as mobilising private capital to invest in scalable African enterprises,” Ciarlet said.
“We are happy to discuss ways of collaborating with the Green Africa Foundation in this endeavour.”
Kalua said the Green Nairobi Company was holding early discussions with potential global partners to support the delivery of environmental infrastructure at scale.
The Green Africa Foundation was established in 2000, while the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation was founded in 2006 and marks its 20th anniversary in 2026.
