MOU signed with Can Tho city government and local social enterprise

About 1.14 million seedlings planted since 2018, covering 294 hectares

Initiative targets job creation and environmental education alongside ecosystem restoration

Tran Ngoc Dong (from left), chairman of the Mangrove Forest Management Board of Can Tho city, Vietnam; Eom Sang-hong, head of SK Innovation's CSR team; and Thi Hai Pham, CEO of MangLub, pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding for mangrove forest restoration at the Can Tho city Department of Agriculture and Environment on Tuesday (local time). [SK Innovation]
Tran Ngoc Dong (from left), chairman of the Mangrove Forest Management Board of Can Tho city, Vietnam; Eom Sang-hong, head of SK Innovation's CSR team; and Thi Hai Pham, CEO of MangLub, pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding for mangrove forest restoration at the Can Tho city Department of Agriculture and Environment on Tuesday (local time). [SK Innovation]

SK Innovation is expanding its mangrove forest restoration project from Vietnam's Vinh Long province to Can Tho city.

SK Innovation signed a memorandum of understanding with the Can Tho city government and local social enterprise MangLub — a portmanteau of "mangrove" and "love" — on Tuesday (local time). MangLub is the first social enterprise established in Vinh Long province, founded there by SK Innovation in 2019.

Under the agreement, SK Innovation will secure planting sites in Can Tho and build a cooperative framework with local communities to manage and protect the reforested areas. The company plans to plant 200 hectares of new mangrove forest in Vietnam between this year and 2030 — four times the size of Seoul Forest, a major urban park covering 50 hectares.

Local residents will participate directly throughout the project, creating jobs in the community. Environmental education programs will also be conducted for residents and students to raise awareness of the value and importance of mangroves.

SK Innovation plans to measure the ecosystem restoration impact using its life cycle assessment capabilities and manage the results systematically.

Mangroves store carbon at roughly five times the rate of ordinary plants and provide habitat for a wide range of species, drawing attention as a solution to the climate crisis. SK Innovation began its mangrove restoration work in Vinh Long province and has since extended its activities to Myanmar, Malaysia and Fiji.

"Beyond resource development and power generation, SK Innovation is pursuing key renewable energy projects in Vietnam, including solar and wind power," said Kim Woo-kyung, head of SK Innovation's PR division. "We will go beyond simple tree-planting to expand youth employment through local social enterprises, promote community participation and environmental education, and contribute to the sustainable growth of local communities."


klee@heraldcorp.com