Yinson Renewables (“YR”) employees recently volunteered in a local biodiversity and environmental programme with Free Tree Society (“FTS”). The programme was held in the Taman Tugu Nursery, a 66-acre urban forest in recovery, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The programme was joined by YR colleagues and the senior leadership team from across Yinson’s global offices, including UK, Singapore, Norway and Malaysia.
Yinsonites began the programme with soil mixing, propagation and transplanting of various native rainforest trees, including Sage, Petai and Sea Apple trees. The seedlings and trees will remain under FTS’s care until they are at least 1 meter tall. As part of FTS’s biodiversity and environmental programmes, the trees will be transplanted to community gardens, parks, urban forests as well as aborigines’ villages across the country.
The team also learned about environmental solutions to energy, water, and waste management, such as rainwater harvesting and composting, both of which are used on-site to reduce the environmental impact. The programme ended with a guided jungle walk along a 1.5km forest trail, where FTS volunteers shared the importance of supporting the growth of native forest species, as well as insights into their work in facilitating sustainable development.
YR Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Brunt, commented, “Visiting the Taman Tugu project was a great opportunity for the YR team to get ‘hands-on experience’ in a real ecological sustainability programme. It was educational, inspirational and a vivid reminder of the impact we humans have on our environment and how quickly a valuable and biodiverse resource can be lost if not actively looked after.” He also commended FTS for putting together a local programme that had global reach, and the team was inspired to continue being involved in conservation and protection activities.
YR Vice President of Operations, Ms Mariana Peddle, said, “The Taman Tugu project is a true reminder that every little step helps and counts towards protecting our planet and creating a better world for us and future generations, and the need for immediate change. The power of collective action is truly reflected in this inspirational project, and I feel very lucky to have been able to witness and become part of this wonderful, thought-provoking initiative.”
Sharing her experience, YR Accounting Team Lead, Miss Sit Moi Chong, remarked, “I feel thankful that I am living in a generation and country that I am able to touch and feel the trees, and I hope to leave behind this heritage to the future generations. But more to be done – let’s not stop here.”
This is one of several biodiversity engagements that Yinson has had with FTS since our first in 2022. Recently in May 2023, in conjunction with World Biological Diversity Day, FTS shared insights on the conservation of Malaysia’s natural heritage through Urban Rewilding in the Yinson Kuala Lumpur office during a Lunch and Learn session. In addition, Yinson donated RM25,000 in support of FTS efforts in reforestation and restoration of biodiversity, as part of the Group’s commitment to progressing toward paperless Annual Reports.
FTS is a non-profit environmental civil society organisation dedicated to biodiversity and environmental education programmes and capacity building in Malaysia. For more information on FTS, please visit: https://freetreesociety.org/
