Last Friday, February 24, I planted my second mangrove tree in the UAE. My colleague, Raj Rajasekar, who is the vice chairman of our company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Committee, and I attended the One Million Mangroves Roadshow organized by Echomatcher at the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary near the Abu Dhabi border.
EcoMatcher partners with vetted foundations from around the world specialized in planting trees. EcoMatcher has a digital platform that allows businesses to incorporate tree planting into their operations. Its partner at the wetland is Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG) which planted 1,000 trees on behalf of our company Tristar Group in 2021.
I planted my first mangrove tree last October 29 at Al Zorah Natural Reserve in Ajman where 35 Tristar employees from various departments and facilities in the UAE participated in our community and employee engagement initiative. We were able to plant 50 mangrove trees after kayaking for 300 meters and walking for 500 meters to reach the ‘Tristar’ site.
I got this from the internet: “Mangrove forests have a phenomenal capacity for carbon sequestration. This is the process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in soil or liquid form, which helps to mitigate global warming. Not only are mangrove trees relatively easy to plant and can withstand challenging soil conditions, but they also play a part in protecting some of nature’s most vulnerable species.”
It was indeed a successful community and employee engagement activity that day. Our company is an Active Participant to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) since 2011. We support the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the two mangrove planting actions fall under SDG No. 13 on ‘Climate Change’ and SDG No. 17 on ‘Partnerships for the Goals’. The objective of SDG No. 13 is to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” while that of No. 17 is to “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”.
Another successful initiative we participated in was the December 17, 2022 annual tree planting campaign ‘For Our Emirates We Plant’ of the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG). Our Group CEO, Mr. Eugene Mayne, planted a sapling under his name given by EEG in appreciation of Tristar Group’s support to the organization in 2022. I accompanied Mr. Mayne with some members of our ESG Committee who planted three more saplings.
The annual event is under the patronage of Engr. Sheikh Salem Bin Sultan Bin Saqr Al-Qasimi, member of the Executive Council of the Government of Ras Al-Khaimah and Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation. More than 1,200 people from the academic sector, the corporate sector, the government entities, and the society at large have collectively planted 3,023 native saplings of Samar trees in Al Munai Area south of Ras Al Khaimah so far.
Mrs. Habiba Al Marashi, Co-founder and Chairperson of EEG, said: “These urban afforestation programmes in addition to providing a habitat for the local bees, insects and other native species, they also act as a natural carbon sink; which will contribute to the mitigation of carbon emissions in the UAE and help accelerate the progress towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals particularly Goal #13.”
On December 21, 2021, a number of my colleagues from various departments, namely Finance, Procurement, IT, Project Management, Business Excellence and Sustainability planted 10 saplings in the same area as part of the annual tree plantation drive.
In my 9th column for The Global Filipino Magazine in August last year, I said that every (wo)man should plant a tree, have a child, and write a book – attributed to the Talmud (Jewish oral law) and Jose Martí (Cuban revolutionary and poet). These three items are said to be lasting legacies for any individual. I am very happy having planted two mangrove trees in my second home and I am looking forward to having our son celebrate another birthday this March 15. Only my ‘future’ book remains.
According to the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, trees and shrubs improve soil and water conservation, store carbon, moderate local climate by providing shade, regulate temperature extremes, increase wildlife habitat and improve the land’s capacity to adapt to climate change. So dear readers, go plant a tree and help save the planet.