Yishan Wong
I started Terraformation to solve climate change by bringing about the restoration of 3 billion acres of native forest.
  • Terraformation was started to solve climate change by bringing about restoration of 3 billion acres of native forest. The science and math show that it is physically possible and that this will yield a carbon sink of sufficient scale to draw down all or most of our extant CO2 emissions. 1
  • Natural carbon capture solutions, like reforestation, are the most efficient, affordable, and reliable methods of carbon capture. But, for this to be a useful solution, the initial planting must be completed quickly, by the end of the decade, making rapid, successful scaling the key to success.
  • Previously, the expertise to rapidly scale organizations and businesses has existed only in industries not exposed to forestry - inside tech startups, multinational conglomerates, and some large governments.
  • Terraformation is a unique fusion of deep forestry expertise, technology acumen, fintech, and scalability experience. This collaboration represents a microcosm of what the world needs to bring together in order to solve the climate crisis in time.
  • Terraformation believes that global reforestation will ultimately become one of the greatest drivers of social and economic equity across the world.
  • Formerly the CEO of Reddit and key early leader at Facebook and PayPal, Yishan spent 20 years hyperscaling technology organizations that are now global leaders in their fields. His research in energy and climate led him to build the world’s largest fully off-grid, 100% solar-powered desalination facility, which currently irrigates a dry forest restoration project on the Big Island of Hawaii.

1 https://www.terraformation.com/about/our-mission

Terraformation Inc. works towards this UN Sustainable Development Goal:

Sustainable Development Goals 13

Learn more about SDGs

Read FAQ
seeds of change cover image

Want to take action?

Learn how with our practical guide for changemakers and philanthropists 'Seeds of change'.

To learn more from our experts about how to protect biodiversity and life on land through philanthropy, download the full guide.

One of the most effective ways of giving for maximum impact is collectively. Would you like to connect and exchange with other philanthropists and changemakers? Learn more about our UBS Collectives.

Other Global Visionaries you might find interesting:

Or you can view and select from all of our Global Visionaries