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COVER STORY
@ Forest | September-October , 2022
It takes a village
Through ESG practices , Planters International Berhad offers opportunities for training and upskilling locals
BY SHEILA ROZARIO
IN 2010 , Malaysia flourished with 20.3 Mha of natural forest , extending over 87 per cent of its land area . In 2021 , it lost 123 Kha of natural forest , equivalent to 87.2 Mt of Co2 emissions . It was alarming .
As the government imposed on companies to transition to a low-carbon economy , Planters International Berhad created carbon negative in its business plan through conservation . As a premier nature-based carbon sequestration project developer in Malaysia , the organisation was entrusted with spearheading several projects hand-in-hand with the Forestry Department on conserving the degraded land in the state . Active Projects :
• Kelantan - Enrichment & Reforestation
• Terengganu - Enrichment & Reforestation Future projects ( 2023 ):
• Selangor - Enrichment & Reforestation
• Pahang - Enrichment & Reforestation
• Johor - Enrichment & Reforestation
• Negeri Sembilan - Enrichment & Reforestation
• National Botanical Garden – Restoration , Enrichment & Replantation Planters also receive significant support from the Kelantan government and several federal agencies . The ministries and the public have been closely monitoring Planters ’ work . They
M Sadruddin
Cultivation using tissue culture .
Beautiful and tranquil Sungai Rek . Hidden gem of Kuala Krai .
are conscious of the organisation ’ s active involvement and have received tremendous support for their volunteering , outreach , and fundraising programs .
Through this conservation programme , Planters have provided job opportunities to locals seeking jobs since the pandemic , and climate changes that hit Kelantan have affected their agriculture activities . Given the current situation , Planters can provide more than 1,380 job opportunities to lower income ( B40 ), helping the communities fight poverty and better quality of life .
The jobs include supervisory jobs , multifunctional hydraulic arm crawler operators , surveillance drone operators or tissue culture lab operators .
“ Each of these jobs will increase their income directly , and the knowledge they acquire can increase the community ’ s quality of life ,” said M Sadruddin , Chairman of Planters .
Misconception relating to ESG compliance
Plantation companies in Malaysia make it a point to adhere to the strict guidelines provided by the government to ensure their environmental impacts are significantly reduced .
“ From the beginning , largescale plantations must adhere to
Land damaged for over 20 years and still barren .
environmental impact assessment ( EIA ) and multiple requirements , including by-laws , to be approved . Government agencies monitor their day-to-day operations extensively to ensure that they are standard .
“ Many go beyond the said requirements to extend their efforts
ENVIRONMENT
Being the change they wish to see in the world
Planters utilising opportunity to initiate voluntary programmes through small talks and discussions with private groups
BEING THE change they wish to see in the world ( use across two pages spread )
Planters utilising opportunity to initiate voluntary programmes through small talks and discussions with private groups
Rooted in shared goals , Planters International Berhad is the coalescence of like-minded people working together to protect , restore and give Malaysia ’ s flora and fauna a second chance .
Some key players involved in Planters include Gombak Jungle School , Forest Department and State governments , CIMB Foundation , Serbajadi ( by YMWOO Corp Sdn Bhd ), Tokio Marine , East Honey & Herb , Forge Research and Development Centre , and Geo Precision Tech .
Over the years , human activities such as deforestation , abandoned agricultural efforts , pollution from varying sources , burning fossil fuels , exponential population growth and urbanisation , and forest fires have significantly damaged our ecosystem .
Through their large-scale reforestation efforts , Planters are working towards recovering and healing damaged land and ensuring existing trees and land remain healthy and safe from threat .
Currently , Planters are focusing on
reforestation on 1,200 acres at D01 HSK Relai in Kelantan , where they manage 276,132 trees . However , their hard work is often also met with challenges , such as the lack of suitable technology and connectivity as they go deeper into the forest , forcing volunteers and researchers to collect data manually .
Tree replanting programme
It then raises the organisation ’ s concern about its workforce being safety-at-risk .
“ Healing the damaged land proved very difficult as top soil needs to be remedied before replanting can occur ,” said Nirwana Tuan Sharif , Planters ’ Head of Corporate Affairs .
“ This , once more , is very costly and requires patience , as treating the site will take some time .”
As interest and awareness grow , Planters is utilising this opportunity by initiating voluntary programmes through small talks and discussions with private groups who have expressed a keen interest in nature .
Aside from corporate activities , Planters also run a Reforestation Programme in the city , where corporates , along with their employees , can carry out the replanting of trees .
In addition , such companies are also adopting 1,000 dipterocarps seedings ,