178 million hectares.*
This is how much forest has been lost worldwide since 1990. Forests are not only major carbon sinks, but also an essential habitat for many species of plants and animals, as they are home to about 60,000 species of trees, 80% of all amphibians, 75% of all birds, and 68% of all mammals, making them crucial for both responding to climate change and conserving biodiversity.

To contribute to mitigating climate change and conserving biodiversity, Hyundai Motor Company has been promoting its ‘IONIQ Forest’ project, which involves planting trees to create a better world for future generations, as part of its Hyundai Continue CSV programs.

The ‘IONIQ Forest’ project has a goal of encouraging coexistence between the Earth and humans and began in 2016 with the planting of 22,250 air-purifying trees at the Incheon landfill, transforming it into a forest. This forest is helping to improve air quality by reducing particulate matter in the air.

In 2019, the ‘IONIQ Forest’ project was brought into classrooms through donations of indoor air-purifying plants in 33 elementary schools and 924 classrooms in Seoul and the metropolitan area, creating forests inside classrooms. These classroom forest help improve indoor air quality and absorb airborne particulate matter, providing a better environment for children.

In 2021, as the post-COVID era sparked greater interest in nature-based healing and scenic outdoor travel, Hyundai Motor Company launched the ‘IONIQ Forest Sinsido’ project. Through this project, 4,750 trees, including a camellia forest path, were planted at the National Sinsido Recreational Forest in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, providing a space for visitors to experience the healing power of nature.

In 2023, Hyundai Motor Company expanded its conservation project by planting 15,500 trees, including Korean fir, an endangered species designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and tulip trees in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, to support biodiversity research efforts.

In 2024, Hyundai Motor Company signed an MOU with Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute and Tree Planet to promote sustainable forest ecosystem restoration. Over the next five years, the company will lead national forest restoration projects in areas around the East Coast damaged by large-scale wildfires.

The newly unveiled IONIQ 9 Seedball Drone Station is a special-purpose vehicle equipped with a large seedball drone, a dedicated takeoff-and-landing platform, and an integrated control system. Utilizing the vehicle’s V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) function, it can self-supply the power required for drone charging, communications, and video transmission—enabling efficient and eco-friendly reforestation work even in forest areas that are difficult for people to access.

Like the earlier IONIQ 5 Monitoring Drone Station, it operates with low noise and vibration, produces no emissions, and features off-road-optimized driving performance to ensure stable operation at forest restoration sites. Going forward, systematic and scientific ecosystem recovery research will be conducted by using drones both to disperse seeds and to collect and analyze monitoring data.

This ecological restoration project, which introduces the IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9 Drone Stations, is highly meaningful as it goes beyond simply supporting tree planting to represent true collaboration through eco-friendly mobility technologies.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, IONIQ Forest has launched the AI-driven storytelling campaign “Tree Correspondents.” Sensors attached to trees collect ecological data, which AI then transforms into article-style reports, offering the unique experience of hearing the forest speak.

In this campaign, trees write in the first person, sharing stories and insights on the importance of forest conservation. These pieces are published in leading daily newspapers and global magazines in Brazil, the Czech Republic, and Korea, encouraging the public to reflect on the value of forests and trees.

The campaign achieved triple honors at the world’s most prestigious international advertising festival, Cannes Lions 2025, winning two Gold Lions and one Silver Lion in the Digital Craft category.

Launched in 2016 alongside the debut of the IONIQ Electric, the IONIQ Forest program began with the creation of a fine dust reduction forest at the Incheon metropolitan landfill site. Since then, it has expanded to 13 countries, including the United States, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Vietnam, Germany, Türkiye, and India. Through diverse local activities—such as employee volunteer programs, seedling planting, and rare species monitoring—the program continues to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.

As a result, by July 2025 the program had achieved its cumulative goal of planting one million trees ahead of schedule, taking the lead in forest restoration and carbon sequestration. This accomplishment goes beyond simple tree planting—contributing both to climate change mitigation and to strengthening ecosystem resilience.

The World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Risks Report identifies extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem collapse as the most severe threats humanity will face over the next decade. The report warns that environmental risks have become not only a long-term concern but an immediate reality, underscoring the urgent need for climate action and ecosystem restoration.

IONIQ Forest implements practical programs such as combating the climate crisis through forest restoration and strengthening ecosystem resilience via tree planting and habitat recovery. As a result, it is recognized as a project that makes tangible contributions to addressing the global environmental risks highlighted by the Davos Forum.