▲ On August 9, SK Innovation and social enterprise “MangLub” receives award for contribution for the achievements of and contributions to the Mangrove Reforestation Project from Vietnam’s Trà Vinh Provincial People’s Committee.

SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project, a program that aims to respond to climate change and preserve biodiversity, has been acknowledged for its contribution by Tra Vinh Provincial People’s Committee, Vietnam.

As part of its active efforts to practice ESG management, SK Innovation has continuously promoted its mangrove reforestation activities every year since May 2018. By August this year, the project in Vietnam has completed the 2021 target sooner than expected, and after 4 years, the total area of restored mangroves has reached 116 hectares. Considering the reality of the vast destruction of mangrove forests in Southeast Asia, one company being able to reforest over 100 hectares over 4 years with persistent efforts to combat climate change, holds great meaning.

SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project was recognized by the local government. On August 9^th, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province, Vietnam, awarded SK Innovation and MangLub for their contribution to mangrove reforestation and preservation of natural resources. MangLub is the first social enterprise in Tra Vinh, established and supported by SK Innovation. Ever since its establishment in 2019, MangLub have been in charge of developing and monitoring mangrove forests, as well as operating various educational programs to improve the environmental awareness of local residents in Tra Vinh.

This award given by the local government is even more meaningful, as this acknowledged SK Innovation’s efforts to the continued Mangrove Reforestation Project despite the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

▲ (Left) On August 9, SK Innovation (right) and social enterprise MangLub (left), receive award for contribution from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tra Vinh province, Vietnam, in recognition of the Mangrove Reforestation Project. / (Right) The award certification received by MangLub, a social enterprise supported by SK Innovation.

| 116 hectares of mangroves have been recovered by SK Innovation from 2018 to 2021

By the end of last year, SK Innovation restored 70 hectares with 340,000 mangrove trees in Vietnam. With the addition of 46 hectares by the end of August this year, a total of 116 hectares of mangroves have been reforested through SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project in Vietnam, surpassing the important mark of 100 hectares that SK Innovation had aimed.

Despite the challenging COVID-19 situation in Southern Vietnam, through MangLub, SK Innovation have been able to continue the project with the help of Tra Vinh local government and residents. Despite some limitations, all of the planting activities in 2020 and 2021 took place in compliance to the local social distancing and quarantine protocols. This year, approximately 140,000 new mangrove trees were successfully planted in a short period of time, starting from June to August.

▲ Tra Vinh local residents participate in the Mangrove Reforestation Project operated by MangLub in June 2021.

The amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project in Vietnam so far is measured to be approximately 4,000 tons, generating various environmental values in response to climate change.

Meanwhile, SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project did not stop in Vietnam. In 2020, SK Innovation expanded the project to Myanmar by restoring a total area of 18 hectares with about 45,000 new mangrove trees. The project has received attention and inquires from various global environmental organization, including those from the U.S. and France, as well as tree-related companies. They have highly evaluated SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project as a model example of sustainable development and environment protection.

Recently, a world-renowned scholar and former chief scientist of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Jeffrey A. McNeely, had mentioned SK Innovation as a case of climate change response and biodiversity preservation in an article titled “Mangroves and COVID-19: Global Environmental Problems Are Part of the Same Story.” McNeely commented that “It is heroic that the project was able to meet the targets despite the serious challenges being posed by COVID-19.”  Previously, McNeely and representatives from SK Innovation had met at the 3rd ROK-ASEAN Environment Forum held in Thailand in 2019, when SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project was selected as a study case of biodiversity preservation in Southeast Asia,.

▲ (Left) Jeffrey A. McNeely (first from the right) is watching the presentation on SK Innovation’s Mangrove Reforestation Project at the 3rd ROK-ASEAN Environment Forum held in Thailand in August.