By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 16: In the lead-up to the Sustainability & Renewable Energy Forum (SAREF) 4.0, Sarawak Energy launched its green initiative, “Adopt a Tree”, aimed at supporting biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration efforts in Sarawak.
The initiative was officially launched on July 10 during a tree planting programme at the Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, organised in partnership with the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC).
SAREF 4.0, scheduled to take place on Sept 3-4 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), will convene regional and global leaders under the theme “Partnerships for Our Goals — Sustainable Growth & Prosperity for the Region”.
Sarawak Energy’s senior vice president for Corporate Services, Siti Aisah Adenan, said the initiative underscores the forum’s commitment to turning dialogue into tangible environmental action that contributes to Sarawak’s ecological heritage and sustainable future.
“This strengthens the conference’s impact, enabling attendees to make a lasting impact by contributing directly to habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation in Sarawak,” she said in a media release today.
Under the initiative, every registered SAREF 4.0 delegate will receive an e-certificate representing one adopted tree at the Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary. The effort is designed to contribute meaningfully to reforestation while supporting broader biodiversity objectives aligned with the forum’s vision.
Highlighting Sarawak Energy’s long-standing commitment to sustainability, Siti Aisah added, “As a corporate leader in sustainability, we have a responsibility to preserve Sarawak’s invaluable natural environment and ecosystems. Tree planting is a vital nature-based solution that mitigates climate change, safeguards our watersheds, and nurtures habitats in which diverse wildlife can thrive.”
The tree planting event saw the participation of 60 Sarawak Energy employees from various departments alongside 30 SFC staff, who collectively planted 600 Nyatoh Ketiau trees, a native species known for its ecological value.
Since the start of its Tree Planting, Protection and Habitat Restoration Campaign 2021-2030, Sarawak Energy has planted and protected nearly 200,000 trees across Sarawak.
With a target of 50,000 trees for 2025 and an ambitious goal of 500,000 trees by 2030, the initiative remains a central component of Sarawak Energy’s sustainability agenda.
The “Adopt a Tree” programme also contributes to Sarawak Energy’s alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 15 (Life on Land).
This initiative complements Sarawak’s wider Greening Campaign, which has already surpassed its goal of planting 35 million trees ahead of its 2025 target, and supports the national Greening Malaysia programme, which aims to plant 100 million trees by 2025.
Among those present at the event were SFC Deputy Controller of Wildlife Madhan Kiplie and Biodiversity Conservation Research Division head James Bali. Sarawak Energy was represented by vice president for Corporate Shared Services Peing Tajang, general manager for Corporate Communication Elaine Tan, and Sustainability and Environmental consultant Dr Asleena Helmi. — DayakDaily
