KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 (Bernama) -- Yayasan PETRONAS celebrated its milestone of planting 57,545 trees at the Raja Musa Forest Reserve in Selangor recently, to recognize the achievement by PETRONAS employees surpassing the targeted 20 billion steps for the Walk4Trees Challenge.
 
Yayasan PETRONAS took up PETRONAS’ pledge to plant one tree for every million steps by initiating a nationwide tree-planting project earlier in September 2020, in support of the ‘Walk4Trees’ walking challenge.

Over 23,400 PETRONAS employees participated in the challenge and achieved a collective total of 24.02 billion steps, exceeding the initial target set in June 2021 and contributing an additional 4,020 trees on top of the 20,000 trees pledged earlier.
 
Yayasan PETRONAS Chief Executive Officer, Shariah Nelly Francis said, “The Walk4Trees initiative is one way we step in to create sustainable impact for the environment. The remarkable collective achievement by PETRONAS staff drives us to also go beyond the initial target by planting 57,545 trees, honoring our commitment to environmental conservation.”
 
Close to 150 volunteers comprising PETRONAS staff along with the local community and state forestry department planted 300 trees at the Raja Musa Forest Reserve during the tree planting event.
 
PETRONAS Head of Occupational Health, Group Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), Norsayani M. Yaakob said, “The Walk4Trees challenge is our way of contributing to the environment, while focusing on the health of our workforce by promoting physical activities leveraging on a virtual digital application. It’s a great achievement for all of us because we get to do our part for Mother Earth.”
 
The trees were planted at 14 planting sites across 11 states in the country over the course of two years. To date, a total of 8,300 trees consisting of 8,250 Tenggek Burung and 50 Pulai trees have been planted at the Raja Muda Forest Reserve.
 
The carbon sequestration from planting 57,545 trees, together with measures to improve water management and fire prevention is estimated to reduce the greenhouse emissions by more than 200 tonnes of carbon dioxide during the project period.
 
The tree-planting project also involved the appointed implementation partner, Global Environment Centre (GEC) together with 21 community groups living near the project sites in which 254 community members have been involved in the establishment or enhancement of the tree nurseries and planting, monitoring and maintenance of the trees.
 
“It is important for us to give back and do good for the people of the nearby communities, hence the involvement of the surrounding communities makes it extra meaningful,” added Shariah.
 
GEC Director, Faizal Parish said, “The rehabilitation of the forest at the 14 targeted locations under the Yayasan PETRONAS Tree Planting Programme has benefited the local communities who have helped replant them. They have benefited directly through the income generated from tree nurseries, planting and maintenance. In addition, the communities have benefited indirectly through forest protection and enhanced ecological services such as water supply, fish habitat and erosion control. I am confident that this tree planting project holds long-term benefits.”
 
The benefits of the project also support the “Program Penghijauan Malaysia” through the “Kempen Penanaman 100 juta pokok”.
 
Selangor Forestry Department Director, Ahmad Fadzil said, “The Selangor State Forestry Department is always committed towards forest conservation and rehabilitation efforts that emphasise greatly on ecological and environmental aspects. It is to ensure the long-term sustainability of forests’ services and produce in Selangor. We applaud Yayasan PETRONAS and GEC for choosing Raja Musa Forest Reserve as one of the planting sites under the Tree Planting Programme in support of Walk4Trees challenge. Hopefully, other stakeholders will emulate such efforts.”
 
Within its environment focus area Sentuhan Alam, Yayasan PETRONAS aims to improve the environment through biodiversity, conservation and carbon-neutral programmes towards enriching lives for a sustainable future.

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