Energy Development Corporation (EDC) launched its Binhi (which means “seeds” in English) greening legacy in the Philippines in 2008, which aims to reforest 1,000 hectares per year for the next 10 years. EDC provides 150MW of wind energy, 1159MW of geothermal energy, and 132MW of hydroelectric energy annually.
Beyond doing its share to help address climate change, Binhi wants to ensure that the diversity of the Philippine forests and vanishing native tree species are restored.
Binhi revolutionized corporate greening by using science to achieve its sustainable broad-scale reforestation and biodiversity conservation goals, a press release from EDC said.
Binhi’s Tree for Life aims to bridge forest gaps, biodiversity research and rehabilitation of forestlands covering key biodiversity areas in the country. This is done either through assisted natural regeneration or through rainforestation to continue providing ecological services while being safeguarded.
From 2009-2014, EDC has reforested 6,609 hectares around the country using 4,580,439 premium native trees, fruit-bearing trees, and high-value commercial trees under the Binhi Tree for Life and Tree for Food modules.
It also planted 2,900 premium, native and endangered trees with more than a hundred partner institutions.
Eighty-eight or 92 percent of its target 96 priority premium endangered and indigenous tree species of the country have been rescued through the company’s Tree for the Future module, the press release said.