Nestlé to plant 3 million trees in Malaysia by 2023

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Shamsul Anuar and Aranols officiate at the launch of Project RELeaf to plant three million trees across Malaysia by 2023.

NESTLÉ recently announced its commitment to plant three million trees in the next three
years through Project RELeaf, a reforestation initiative in Malaysia contributing to the company’s global pledge to achieve Zero Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050.

Project RELeaf builds on the pioneering Kinabatangan Rileaf Project, established by Nestlé in 2011, which helped to plant one million trees in Sabah.

By widening its reach in Sabah and expanding for the first time to Peninsular Malaysia, Project RELeaf aims to scale up Nestlé’s efforts in restoring riparian and forest ecosystems, contributing to establish wildlife corridors, and mitigating human-animal conflict and protecting critical water supplies.

The project will also help to develop greater awareness amongst local communities on environmental topics and will provide additional sources of income to improve their supply chains.”

“We are mindful of the urgent need to address climate change, which is a threat to the sustainability of our business as well as for the planet’s future. Project RELeaf will enable us to accelerate our net-zero ambition by scaling up nature-based solutions to tackle this global climate issue,” said Chris Johnson, executive vice-president of Nestlé S.A. and CEO for Zone Asia, Oceania, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Shamsul Anuar and Aranols mark the start of Project RELeaf by planting Jelutong trees.

Not only will Project RELeaf enhance biodiversity, Johnson said it will subsequently help to absorb carbon emissions.

“Planting trees in areas connected with the sourcing of our ingredients contributes to the responsible management of our supply chain. Furthermore, reforestation complements our efforts to halt deforestation in our supply chains.”

Nestlé Malaysia will plant three million trees across the Kinabatangan Wetlands and Merisuli Forest Restoration areas in Sabah, as well as in forest reserves along the Central Forest Spine in Peninsular Malaysia.

These forest reserves provide sanctuary for a great diversity of flora and fauna, including threatened wildlife such as orangutans, proboscis monkeys, Asian elephants, Malayan tigers, sun bears, and tapirs.

Nestlé will collaborate with the Malaysian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia, the Sabah Forestry Department, Malaysian Nature Society, the Tropical Rainforest Conservation, and the Research Center of Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project, palm growers, as well as local communities and entrepreneurs for community-based seedling production and tree-planting operations.

The launch of Project RELeaf was officiated at by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Dato Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah and Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad’s CEO Juan Aranols. The event took place at Taman Rimba Alam, Precinct 15, Putrajaya.

Nestlé Malaysia head of Agriculture Services Yong Lee Keng (back right) leads Shamsul Anuar (centre) and other guests on a tour of the informative Nestlé Exhibition Booth, showcasing its various environmental commitments.

Shamsul Anuar commented that Malaysia has been blessed with abundant natural resources and the country is committed to maintain at least 50 per cent of the country’s land area with forest and tree cover, in line with their pledge at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro 1992.

“As our nation develops, we must balance our growth with the conservation of our environment. As such, we are truly appreciative of Nestlé’s committed efforts to protect our nation’s biodiversity.
We hope to see more public and private sector collaborations, to continue protecting our precious ecosystem for future generations.”

Aranols added that Nestlé’s pledge to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 reflects its ambition to contribute to a greener future and Project RELeaf, here in Malaysia, is a tangible step towards helping to realise this ambition.

“By restoring critical forest ecosystems, we will help to preserve ecosystems and protect biodiversity. These are vital to ensure supply chain sustainability while protecting the environment, as both elements
are interconnected in nature,” said Aranols.

Aranols (third left) and Shamsul Anuar commemorate the launch of Project REleaf. From left are ministry secretary general Datuk Zurinah Pawanteh, Ministry of Federal Territories (Planning and Development), deputy secretary general Datuk Che Roslan Che Daud, and Nestlé (Malaysia) Berhad Group Corporate Affairs executive director Datuk Adnan Pawanteh.

Aranols said the project will be an enabler to continue making a positive impact for both the planet and for people, as the multinational company will continue to empower local communities and support livelihoods via purchasing of seedlings and their involvement in planting activities.

This is in line with the Company’s purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come.

Project RELeaf is the next evolution of the Kinabatangan Rileaf Project, which was a partnership with Yayasan Sime Darby and the Sabah Forestry Department. As of September 2020, one million trees have been planted across more than 2,700 ha of degraded forest.

Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage manufacturer and a leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness, is headquartered in Switzerland.

Since 1866, Nestlé has been committed to providing high quality, tasty, safe, and nutritious products to their consumers, in line with their promise of Good Food, Good Life.

Nourishing Malaysians since 1912, Nestlé has earned the trust of its consumers through quality brands and products, as well as a commitment to improve the lives of the communities in which it operates.

To learn more about how Nestlé has been nourishing Malaysians for over a century, visit www.nestle.com.my or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Nestle.Malaysia.