Protecting the Environment
Keppel marks the start of its pledge to plant 10,000 trees in Singapore, in line with its commitment to sustainability
May 2021
Keppel Corporation marked the start of its pledge to plant 10,000 trees in Singapore with a tree-planting event at Labrador Nature Reserve on 3 May 2021. Keppel, through its philanthropic arm Keppel Care Foundation, has committed $3 million to the Garden City Fund to support the planting of the trees over five years in parks and nature reserves in Singapore.
The initiative supports the National Parks Board’s (NParks) OneMillionTrees movement to enhance existing green spaces and transform Singapore into a City in Nature.
Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, graced the event, in which volunteers from Keppel, led by Dr Lee Boon Yang, Chairman of Keppel Care Foundation, Mr Danny Teoh, Chairman of Keppel Corporation and Mr Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel Corporation, planted 50 coastal forest trees. They were joined by Mr Kenneth Er, CEO of NParks and Professor Leo Tan, Chairman of Garden City Fund.
Among the trees planted by Keppel today are rare native coastal species that are critically endangered or vulnerable, including the Tapu (Melochia umbellata), Sea Teak (Podocarpus polystachyus), Small-leaved Nutmeg (Knema globularia), and Sea Olive (Olea brachiata). The Tapu is a new record for Singapore, collected from a single mature individual along a tributary of Sungei Jurong in 2018, while the Sea Teak (Podocarpus polystachyus) planted today was grown from the natural population found originally in the coastal forest of Labrador Nature Reserve. Thus, planting these trees will aid in their recovery in Singapore, while enriching the biodiversity of Labrador and strengthening their resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Of the 10,000 trees committed by Keppel, about 5,000 will be planted at Labrador Nature Reserve to help restore and enhance its coastal habitats. The 22-hectare Labrador Nature Reserve consists of several habitats such as coastal forest, mangroves, and mainland Singapore’s only remaining natural rocky shore. The coastal forest in the Nature Reserve is largely untouched, consisting of trees and shrubs that are adapted to the strong winds and salty coastal environment, and which help to provide nutrients for surrounding marine habitats. The Reserve is also home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna, with more than 100 species of birds and 40 species of butterflies, as well as some rare native ones. For example, the Broad-leaf Fern (Dipteris conjugata) is a locally critically endangered fern that is found only at Labrador Nature Reserve and Western Catchment area, and the Pittosporum ridleyi is a coastal tree considered vulnerable in Singapore with seeds dispersed by birds. The Sea Gutta (Planchonella obovata) is also considered vulnerable, and typically grows near sandy and rocky shores.
The planting of more native coastal trees will thus help to strengthen the resilience of Labrador’s habitats and support its rich native biodiversity. The trees will also strengthen the ecological connectivity in the area, including the mangroves at Berlayer Creek and the forests of Southern Ridges.
Mr Desmond Lee said, “Keppel’s generous contribution of $3 million to NParks’ Garden City Fund to support the planting of 10,000 trees over the next five years will be instrumental in our push to transform Singapore into a City in Nature. We will work closely with Keppel and other corporate partners, as well as the larger community, to green our city further under the OneMillionTrees movement. This will help to mitigate the effects of climate change and urbanisation, protect our biodiversity, and create a greener Singapore for our present and future generations to enjoy.”
Dr Lee Boon Yang said, “Keppel has put sustainability at the core of our Vision 2030 strategy. The trees planted today mark the launch of our pledge to plant 10,000 trees in Singapore over the next five years. In addition to being part of a nature-based solution to combat climate change and reduce the ambient heat of urban areas, the 10,000 trees will enhance biodiversity and further beautify our city. We hope that our efforts will help Singapore to achieve a more sustainable future.”
Professor Leo Tan said, “We would like to thank Keppel for their strong support for the Garden City Fund’s Plant-A-Tree programme, which is part of the NParks OneMillionTrees movement. Keppel’s gift of 10,000 trees is a heartening sign of the community’s strong support in the greening of Singapore. We hope that other companies and individuals would similarly be encouraged to play an active role in restoring and conserving our natural heritage, thus helping to transform Singapore into a City in Nature.”
The Keppel Group has been a longstanding and active supporter of environmental conservation programmes. Keppel employees are regular volunteers of conservation programmes such as tree planting and beach clean-ups, in Singapore and overseas. Keppel has also collaborated with NParks to restore a freshwater wetland habitat at Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Keppel Discovery Wetlands. Since its launch in March 2017, the Learning Forest, which Keppel Discovery Wetlands is a part of, has received some 1.3 million visitors.