Project RELeaf to accelerate reforestation and tackle climate change

Nestle Malaysia is ramping up efforts to plant three million trees across Malaysia by 2023 via its reforestation initiative Project RELeaf.

It recently teamed up with non-governmental organisation Impact Revolution Enterprise for a mangrove planting activity in Kuala Selangor Nature Park to restore the area’s precious mangrove ecosystem.

More than 100 Nestle Cares volunteers, led by Nestle Malaysia chief executive officer Juan Aranols, planted over 500 mangrove species Rhizophora apiculata (pokok bakau minyak) saplings within the mangrove forest area.

In September 2020 Nestle Malaysia launched Project RELeaf as part of its climate change efforts and contributions to achieving net zero emissions.

Aranols said the long lockdown periods have limited their access to planting sites and brought some delays to the roll out of Project RELeaf.

“We made very good use of the time during the lockdown and by now, our partner nurseries have nearly one million seedlings and saplings of various indigenous species, growing healthy and strong. By year-end, some 300,000 of them will have been transplanted into their final sites.

“Following the end of the lockdown, we are hitting the ground running and our teams are rapidly ramping up planting activity. We have a solid plan and resources in place to plant 1.3 million trees in 2022, followed by 1.4 million trees in 2023,” he said.

“We are fully committed to materialize our ambition to achieve zero net carbon emissions by 2050, with at least a 50% reduction by 2030,” Aranols added.  

Aranols said the reforestation initiatives will be complemented by the roll out of regenerative agriculture practices in their chili, paddy and coffee farming engagements.

“We are also honoured to be amongst the very early signatories of the pledge to support and adopt the Green Energy Tariff announced by the Government of Malaysia earlier,” added Aranols.

Nestle Malaysia agriculture services head Yong Lee Keng said they are excited to undertake this mangrove reforestation initiative to do good for the environment in Kuala Selangor Nature Park which is a sanctuary for a wide range of indigenous plant and wildlife.

“Mangrove forests are a vital part of Malaysia’s precious ecosystem and play a critical role in the fight against climate change by acting as carbon sinks to reduce emissions, as well as stabilizing coastlines, reducing soil erosion and supporting livelihoods among local coastal communities,” he said.

Project RELeaf builds on the pioneering Kinabatangan Rileaf Project, which concluded in 2020 and saw one million trees planted in Sabah.