SK Inno, Forest Restoration Activities in Vietnam

Local residents are planting mangrove seedlings around 'Beon Island' near Cha Bin City, Vietnam. Photo by SK Innovation

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] SK Innovation recently announced on the 25th that it conducted an activity to plant mangrove seedlings around Ban Island near Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam. Mangroves have excellent carbon dioxide absorption capabilities and serve as habitats for diverse species. Once called the lungs of Asia, mangrove forests have decreased due to indiscriminate development and environmental issues, which in turn cause global warming and sea level rise. Most countries in the Mekong region, including Vietnam, are struggling as their mangrove forests disappear.

SK Innovation, which began planting mangrove seedlings in 2018, prepared restoration projects in cooperation with the local government, the social enterprise ‘Maenggeureob’, and local residents when dispatching volunteers became difficult due to COVID-19. Maenggeureob acts as a coordinator for the forest restoration project and is promoting manufacturing and sales businesses utilizing mangrove byproducts, including seedling cultivation.

Considering local quarantine guidelines, the project will be carried out in small groups of fewer than five people until August. This year’s target is set at 46 hectares, with plans to plant 140,000 seedlings. The mangrove forest restored up to last year covers 70 hectares with 340,000 seedlings growing. The company expects that achieving this year’s target will result in carbon dioxide absorption of 3,944 tons. Last year, the company also conducted a mangrove forest restoration project in Myanmar.

SK Innovation planted mangrove seedlings with local residents around 'Bun Island' near Tra Vinh Province, Vietnam. Photo by SK Innovation