KUCHING: In the lead-up to the Sustainability & Renewable Energy Forum (SAREF) 4.0, Sarawak Energy launched the ‘Adopt a Tree’ initiative to support biodiversity and habitat restoration.

According to a statement, SAREF 4.0 is scheduled on 3 to 4 September at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), themed ‘Partnerships for Our Goals - Sustainable Growth & Prosperity for the Region’.

“The forum serves as a key platform for regional and global leaders to collaborate on actionable solutions that advance sustainable energy development and environmental stewardship across Southeast Asia.

“The ‘Adopt a Tree’ initiative was officially launched on 10 July during a tree planting programme at the Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary, organised in partnership with Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC),” it said on Wednesday.

This initiative exemplifies SAREF’s commitment to translating dialogue into tangible environmental outcomes that benefit Sarawak’s rich biodiversity and contribute to the region’s sustainable future.

Under the programme, each registered SAREF 4.0 delegate will receive an e-certificate representing one tree adopted at the sanctuary. The initiative aims to contribute meaningfully to reforestation and support broader biodiversity efforts aligned with the objectives of the forum.

Sarawak Energy’s Senior Vice President for Corporate Services, Siti Aisah Adenan noted that the initiative strengthens the conference’s impact, enabling attendees to make a lasting impact by contributing directly to habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation in Sarawak.

She also highlighted Sarawak Energy’s long-standing sustainability efforts.

“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,” she said.

The tree planting programme involved 60 staff across various departments and units within Sarawak Energy, and 30 staff from SFC who collectively planted a total of 600 trees of the Nyatoh Ketiau species.

As of June 2025, Sarawak Energy has planted and protected nearly 200,000 trees across Sarawak under its corporate-wide Tree Planting, Protection and Habitat Restoration Campaign 2021-2030.

With a target of 50,000 trees for 2025, the campaign contributes towards a long-term goal of 500,000 trees by 2030.

The initiative supports Sarawak Energy’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals, specifically Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 15 (Life on Land).

Although the Greening Sarawak campaign has already surpassed its goal of planting 35 million trees ahead of the 2025 target, Sarawak Energy continues to contribute actively to the national Greening Malaysia programme, which aims to plant and protect 100 million trees by 2025.

Present at the event were SFC Deputy Controller of Wildlife, Madhan Kiplie,SFC Head of Biodiversity Conservation Research (BCR) Division, James Bali, Sarawak Energy Vice President for Corporate Shared Services, Peing Tajang, Sarawak Energy General Manager for Corporate Communication, Elaine Tan, and Sarawak Energy Sustainability and Environmental Consultant, Dr Asleena Helmi. -UKASnews