SC Johnson joins forces with Conservation International to present the VR film Under the Canopy.
The Portuguese version of the film will debut at the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 General Assembly meeting in Brazil.
RACINE, Wis., March 20, 2017 – SC Johnson, the maker of trusted household products like Glade®, Raid®, Baygon®, OFF!® and Mr Muscolo®, is joining forces with Conservation International (CI) to present Under the Canopy, a Virtual Reality (VR) film that offers viewers a unique opportunity to experience the Amazon like few ever have. The Portuguese version of the film will debut on March 20 at the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA 2020) General Assembly meeting in Brasilia, Brazil.
Under the Canopy, narrated by indigenous guide Kamanja Panashekung and award-winning Brazilian actor Marcos Palmeira, allows viewers to explore the extraordinary landscape of Amazonia guided by the native people who inhabit the region and are essential to its protection. Viewers will feel like they are swinging from treetops and plunging into rivers as they learn more about why people need the rainforest to thrive. From its role as the world’s largest watershed to the fact that its trees absorb carbon and help regulate climate, the Amazon region provides the foundation for healthy societies around the world.
“SC Johnson has a strong connection with Brazil that dates back more than 80 years and we have a manufacturing plant in Manaus, at the heart of the rainforest. Deforestation isn’t abstract for us; it’s personal – as I wish it were for everyone,” said Kelly M. Semrau, Senior Vice President - Global Corporate Affairs, Communication and Sustainability at SC Johnson. “We’re excited to partner with Conservation International to help educate and engage people worldwide around the need to preserve this important resource.”
“The well-being of people everywhere depends on our planet’s rainforests -- and, it turns out, protecting and sustaining these forests depends on all of us,” said Rodrigo Medeiros, Vice President of CI-Brazil. “Rainforests produce 20 percent of the world’s breathable oxygen. They also store enough carbon to offer critical protection against global temperature rise. Through virtual reality, people all over the world can experience what is at stake firsthand and, we hope, be inspired to join us in our mission to end deforestation.”
“The shift to deforestation-free supply chains must not come at the cost of economic prosperity, but can instead generate new investment opportunities, with sustainable land use and local economic prosperity going hand in hand,” said Marco Albani, Director of Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 at the World Economic Forum. “Showcase of partnerships built on investable opportunities can further scale multi-stakeholder efforts and result in transformational change.”
Step Up to the Challenge and Help Protect 10,000 Acres (4,046 Hectares) of Rainforest
Beyond sponsoring the film’s distribution, SC Johnson is raising the stakes with a challenge. For every acre (.4 hectares) of rainforest protected through the CI donation page, the company will provide an equal match up to 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares) for a total of 10,000 acres (4,046 hectares). Protecting an acre (.4 hectares) of tropical forest through Conservation International costs just $25. Donations can be made at conservacao.org.br.
SC Johnson, Deforestation and Brazil
As a member of the Consumer Goods Forum, SC Johnson shares its commitment to net zero deforestation by 2020 through the sustainable sourcing of pulp, paper, packaging and palm oil. The company has fully aligned with the CGF Pulp, Paper and Packaging Guidelines.
In addition, for more than a decade, SC Johnson has worked with CI and its REDD+ program to engage communities in conservation, safeguard forests and secure livelihoods. SC Johnson also helped protect two reserves in Brazil’s Caatinga ecoregion in the 1990s.
The Johnson family has a long personal connection to Brazil, as well. In 1935, third-generation company leader H.F. Johnson Jr. led an expedition up the Amazon in search of the Carnaúba palm, whose wax was the principle ingredient in the company’s products at the time. In 1998, fourth-generation leader Sam Johnson and his sons, including fifth-generation leader Fisk Johnson, retraced the historic expedition, finding along the way not just a love of the Amazon, but a remarkable new insight into the power of family.
Experience the Amazon at the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 General Assembly
TFA 2020 conference attendees will have the opportunity to experience the film in immersive virtual reality, and then learn more about joining SC Johnson’s matching challenge to help protect the rainforest.
For those not attending the General Assembly of TFA 2020, the film can be viewed online at www.conservacao.org.br, and those with virtual reality headsets can experience the powerful VR version via the JauntVR app.
About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 131-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world.www.scjohnson.com
About Conservation International (CI)
Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity for the well-being of people. Founded in 1987, CI is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area and employs more than 800 staff in 30 countries on six continents, and has nearly 1,000 partners around the world. For more information, please visit our website at: www.conservacao.org.br or visit us on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
About the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA 2020)
A global public-private partnership in which partners take voluntary actions, individually and in combination, to reduce the tropical deforestation associated with the sourcing of commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef, and paper and pulp. The Alliance counts over 90 partners with private-sector partners from consumer, producer and other sectors, tropical forest country and donor country governments and civil society organizations. The TFA 2020 secretariat is hosted at the World Economic Forum in Geneva. On 20-22 March, the TFA 2020 General Assembly will gather partners and friends of the Alliance to share knowledge and best practices in advancing our journey to accomplish deforestation-free supply chains. See the full programme here.
To learn more about the General Assembly and the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 visit our website tfa2020.org or visit/follow us on Twitter.
 of Rainforest&image=http://www.scjohnson.com/Press%20Releases/2017/March/SC%20Johnson%20Partners%20with%20Conservation%20International%20to%20Protect%2010000%20Acres%20of%20Rainforesthttps://scj-corp-cdn.azureedge.net/-/media/sc-johnson/our-news/press-release-header-images/scjohnson-rainforest-conservation_.jpg?h=956&w=1700&hash=19FB785CE384836262D0397B9EDD9F8E&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.scjohnson.com%2fPress%2520Releases%2f2017%2fMarch%2fSC%2520Johnson%2520Partners%2520with%2520Conservation%2520International%2520to%2520Protect%252010000%2520Acres%2520of%2520Rainforest){kind=link}