UNIQLO Contributes RM200,000 to FRIM for Local Forest Conservation Efforts
Global apparel retailer UNIQLO has reinforced its commitment to environmental conservation by donating RM200,000 to the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) to support its forest conservation programmes. The donation represents part of the proceeds collected each time customers purchase paper shopping bags in UNIQLO stores.
L to R - Dr. Mohd Wan Shukri Wan Ahmad, Forestry and Environment
Division of FRIM; Dr. Ismail Hj Parlan, Director General of FRIM; Rie Aramoto,
Chief Operating Officer of UNIQLO Malaysia; Tomohisa Kikuchi, Chief Financial
Officer of UNIQLO Malaysia
In collaboration with FRIM, the donation will fund various initiatives, including tree inventory and mapping, monitoring, and maintenance activities, and a UNIQLO Awareness Program.
Evelyn
Tan, Director of Legal and Sustainability, UNIQLO Malaysia, said “As a member
of the community, we feel a responsibility to help preserve and protect local
green spaces. We are honoured to expand our forest conservation efforts in
partnership with FRIM, aiming to enhance their conservation initiatives and
raise awareness about the critical need to protect our forests.”
Dr
Ismail Parlan, Director General of FRIM, said “We are grateful for UNIQLO’s
support towards our conservation efforts, and their commitment to promoting
environmental awareness. Partnerships with corporations like UNIQLO enable us
to continuously conserve and preserve the trees in our project sites, while
also facilitating community engagement activities to raise awareness about the
importance of forests.”
Funds
donated by UNQILO to be used for FRIM’s tree inventory and mapping project will
assess carbon stocking and species composition of trees with a diameter of more
than 10cm through comprehensive mapping and measuring. Monitoring and
maintenance efforts will focus on replenishing natural tree falls with
higher-quality timber species.
Since
2020, UNIQLO has introduced responsibly harvested, Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) certified paper shopping bags. The RM0.30 charge for paper bags in UNIQLO
stores aligns with the retailer’s sustainability measures to reduce the use of
single-use plastic materials in their operations. Customers are also encouraged
to bring their own reusable bags when shopping at UNIQLO stores to contribute
to a greener future.
In
addition to its collaboration with FRIM, UNIQLO has demonstrated its commitment
to preserving green spaces through previous contributions, including donations
to local forest park Taman Tugu. These donations have supported initiatives
such as the Plant Giveaway and Plant & Hunt programmes, designed to foster
awareness and action towards reducing carbon footprints within communities.
As
part of its environmental sustainability efforts, UNIQLO will continue to
explore solutions and partnerships to further support forest conservation and
environmental protection initiatives in Malaysia and globally.
For more information about UNIQLO and its sustainability initiatives, please visit www.uniqlo.com/my.
