Envisioning a greener Earth

The company set itself a noble target when it launched an environment-friendly corporate social responsibility campaign themed "A million trees, a million dreams".

Shaklee Malaysia has always wanted to do its part to green the earth and at the same time advocate a cleaner, healthier and safer world.

That dream started materialising in 2009 when it teamed up with the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia to sponsor and plant trees at Kepong Botanical Garden, a former mining area which is now an educational public park.

Pushing ahead with its efforts to educate Malaysians on environmental issues and the need for growing trees, Shaklee Malaysia recently planted trees at Bukit Sungei Puteh Forest Reserve in Cheras for the second consecutive year with the cooperation of the Forestry Department.

The event, which was officiated by Natural Resources and Environment Deputy Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, saw the company's employees, civil servants, guests and members of the media plant tree saplings.

The three-year cooperation between Shaklee Malaysia and the National Forestry Department started last year when the company sponsored RM10,000 worth of tree saplings and a trail measuring 226 metres long. The trail is to ensure that the park has facilities for visitors including the disabled.

"Reversing the unprecedented loss of biodiversity and saving our planet requires the effort of everyone," said Victor Lim, the regional general manager of Shaklee, Southeast Asia.

"Working with the Forestry Department in planting trees at this forest reserve is part of the company's effort in mitigating residual carbon emissions, while at the same time hoping to create valuable wildlife habitats and a forest park for people to enjoy and learn from," he said.

The company hoped that the choice of fruit trees for planting this time around would serve to attract birds, insects and other wildlife to this reserve and create biodiversity.

"Tree-planting is definitely one of the most potent ways to protect our planet, but people are either not doing enough of it or not doing anything at all," said Lim.

"Forests help to control climate. Some experts now call rainforests 'the air-conditioners of the world' because their dark depths absorb heat from the sun."

In his speech, Kurup said Shaklee's efforts was in line with the ministry's drive to plant 26 million trees by 2014 which would be capable of absorbing 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The campaign, "Green The Earth: One Citizen, One Tree", was launched in April last year. More than 13 million trees have since been planted.

A total of 110 trees were planted during the event, including rambai hutan, sentul, keledang temponek, beruas and kandis .

Source: AVEEN MATHEW MENON
streets@nstp.com.my