Prince Albert II receives Dr Isaac Kalua Green’s new book as foundations deepen Africa climate partnership

MONACO, September 13 — Green Africa Foundation Chief Steward Dr Isaac Kalua Green has presented His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco with the first copy of his new book, Come Back and Check, as the two foundations explore new areas of cooperation on climate and conservation across Africa.

The presentation took place at the Prince’s Palace during a meeting that reviewed more than two decades of cooperation between the Green Africa Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

The meeting was also attended by Romain Ciarlet, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Discussions focused on the Green Africa Foundation’s contribution to continental sustainability efforts, the Green Africa Villages model, an update on the long-running Plant Your Age campaign and Dr Green’s recent appointment as Chairman of the Board of the Green Nairobi Company.

In Come Back and Check, published by the Green Africa Foundation, Dr Green challenges governments, corporations and global environmental movements to go beyond counting what they plant and instead measure what survives.

The book subjects his own Plant Your Age campaign, which reports an estimated 981 million tree-growing contributions since 2011, to the same seven-point test he proposes for governments and corporations. He concludes that the campaign can fully answer only a fraction of the questions needed to establish its long-term impact.

Drawing on forest recovery experiences from South Korea, farmer-led regeneration in Niger and a government audit in the Philippines, the book proposes common standards including a “Count What Survives Standard,” an Evidence Ladder and a Living Tree Account that governments and companies could adopt.

“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,” Dr Green 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. 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.”

Prince Albert II’s relationship with Dr Green spans two decades. He visited Green Africa Foundation project sites in Kitui in 2010 and wrote the foreword to Dr Green’s earlier book, Green for Life.

During the meeting, Prince Albert praised Dr Green’s work and pledged continued collaboration.

The two sides also explored potential synergies between the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s programmes, which focus on climate, biodiversity, water and ocean protection, and the Green Africa Foundation’s community-level work across Africa.

The discussions included the Green Africa Villages model and the Plant Your Age campaign.

“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.”

Dr Green, who was recently appointed Chairman of the Board of the Green Nairobi Company, said the organisation was already in discussions with partners globally as it explores international partnerships to deliver climate and environmental infrastructure at scale.

Come Back and Check closes with a question Dr Green says he now puts to every government, company and campaign he encounters, including his own: “What have you begun that still needs you to return? Come back and check.”