At onboard:earth, we strongly believe in supporting communities already suffering from the worst effects of climate change, such as drought and flooding, to regenerate ecosystems and create sustainable livelihoods.
Support for these communities is critical to achieving a just transition—the process of moving to a low-carbon economy in a way that ensures those least responsible for climate change, yet most affected by it, are empowered as key drivers of climate action. This is vital because the extreme weather caused by climate change often leads to hunger, poverty, and a lack of access to health and education through the loss of livelihoods and community infrastructure.
Since onboard:earth was founded in 2015, we’ve helped the live events industry tackle the environmental impacts of travel to events. We provide tools and resources to support our event members in reducing emissions with proven strategies for carbon efficiency and low-carbon travel alternatives. Members then have the option to donate to one of our two environmental programs, Energy Revolution and Trees+, to acknowledge carbon impacts that can’t yet be eliminated.
Our Trees+ program works with three partners, so each donation helps tackle climate change in three vital ways: preserving threatened ecosystems, storing and sequestering carbon through verified nature-based carbon offset projects, and supporting communities in building sustainable livelihoods that help regenerate the land to ensure a just transition.
Partner Spotlight: Temwa in Malawi
One such project partner is Temwa, a charity founded to develop self-sufficient communities in Northern Malawi by supporting projects in education, health, agriculture and forestry, and microfinance.
They use a community-led approach to development, ensuring that everything they do is developed in partnership with the people they support in Malawi. Their goal is to help communities achieve self-sufficiency, so projects aim to provide sustainable, long-term training to become independent.
Temwa runs tree-planting projects within communities and helps establish sustainable agriculture and agroforestry practices with the support of local governance. By working with community structures and improving household livelihoods, they ensure that trees stay in the ground to restore and protect a flourishing, green landscape.
These case studies demonstrate how their work directly supports communities while restoring the land.
Jembe Community Restores River Line
In 2023, a determined group of farmers in the Jembe Community, Northern Malawi, came together to restore their river line, which had been damaged by flooding, by planting M’bawa (Khaya senegalensis) trees. Their goal was to improve water retention and support their agricultural livelihoods, particularly during the dry winter months.
This river line stretches 800 meters and pours water into the Livuwu River. Through Temwa, the community has received support and guidance to implement sustainable land use practices, including the planting of over 200 M’bawa trees. The M’bawa trees, known for their drought tolerance and water-retention properties, were chosen specifically for their potential to benefit the community’s agricultural production in winter.
The results were remarkable. The M’bawa trees have thrived with a 95% survival rate, and the river line has begun to flourish. Water retention has improved, and the community has been able to maintain soil moisture during the dry season. This has enabled them to continue farming during the winter months, increasing their crop yields and improving food security. The restored river line has also provided a natural buffer against flooding.
Jembe Village Adopts Beekeeping
With Temwa’s support, Jembe village has developed and implemented a Village Natural Resources Management Plan. At the heart of this plan is the enthusiastic adoption of beekeeping as a sustainable livelihood, which has led to a remarkable transformation.
The village has established a thriving beekeeping business that has not only generated a diversified income for local residents but also promoted forest conservation.
Over 11 natural forests (covering over 10 hectares) in the area are now being sustainably managed. The deforestation rate in these natural forests has reduced, with two counts of freshly cut trees this year compared to 21 last year. There is also abundant natural regeneration, with coppices emerging, indicating a healthy and resilient ecosystem.
Wilson Banda (pictured), is a resident of Jembe Village who has established his own apiary (beehive) and begun managing beehives. He started with just five beehives and has since expanded to 12, and is now harvesting high-quality honey. He is expecting to harvest and sell at least 40kgs of honey between September and October 2025 and has is looking to grow his beehive business, with the addition of 8 new hives.
Find out more about our work with Temwa. Our Trees+ program also supports communities in Togo, West Africa with Deki and Carbon Kind.