PETRONAS: PETRONAS Walk4trees Challenge Steps Out To Spread Hope And Solidarity

When PETRONAS introduced a walking challenge in December 2019, about 20,000 of its employees joined in from across the globe. Organised in collaboration with BookDoc app, the PETRONAS walk4trees challenge was intended to promote a healthy lifestyle while enabling staff to play their part for the environment. In this initiative, and as the name suggests, for every one million steps collected, PETRONAS will plant a tree.

In the spirit of inclusivity, PETRONAS invites members of the public to also join the two-part walk4trees virtual run and play their role in safeguarding the environment.
PETRONAS’ Vice President of Group Health, Safety, Security and Environment Dzafri Sham Ahmad said: “We believe that it is important for us to come together in the spirit of hope and solidarity; and what better way to do so than to indulge ourselves in an activity that will not just bring us all together virtually, but will also contribute to the environment whilst improving our health and wellbeing.

“This is one of the key efforts under our flagship MESTIfit4Health programme where we focus on promoting a healthy lifestyle amongst our employees. With the additional element of planting trees, the challenge becomes even more meaningful as we’re able to contribute to the environment, which fits well into our Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 aspiration.”

With an overall target of planting 20,000 trees by the end of the challenge, PETRONAS through its CSR arm, Yayasan PETRONAS, is collaborating with the Global Environment Centre (GEC) to manage the tree saplings, working with identified local communities to train and empower them to set up and run nurseries for a period of three years.

Apart from a source of sustainable livelihood, the community is also expected to benefit from the rehabilitation of forests including enhanced protection from coastal erosion and increased yield in fisheries for mangrove projects. For peatland forest projects, surrounding communities will gain from reduced peatland fires and haze, along with heightened protection of peatland water sources and non-timber forest products. Meanwhile, rehabilitation efforts in lowland forest sites will offer new opportunities in recreation and ecotourism in addition to water sources protection.

“By inviting the public to join in the challenge,” Dzafri added: “we hope that we can create a community that is engaged and committed to help heal this world that we share. Ultimately, we also believe that the challenge can play its part in enhancing the livelihoods of the communities that we have engaged to set up and run the nurseries, especially during these stressful times, aligned to our purpose of enriching lives for a sustainable future.”

The walk4trees virtual run for members of the public starts on 15 March 2021 and will be divided into two parts. The first part entails a 200,000-step target which participants will have to complete within 6 weeks. Avid runners will have the chance to prove their mettle by also participating in the second part of the challenge, which will kick-off in the first week of May 2021, with a whopping target of 250,000 steps to be achieved also within 6 weeks. Those who complete the challenge will receive digital medals and certificates, with special prizes waiting for lucky draw winners at the end of the overall challenge.