The world is warming, and climate is changing. It’s the result of too much greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, particularly Carbon Dioxide, emitted since the start of the industrial revolution. To halt global warming, nations have pledged to reduce their GHG emissions. Some big corporations, as part of their corporate social responsibility, have also made pledges to reduce their carbon footprint.
Fulfilling GHG reduction commitments can be done in two ways. Parties can implement projects like shifting to renewable energy or simply buy carbon credits to offset their emissions. Carbon offset projects like tree planting, renewable energy, or methane capture are developed and verified by third parties. Once verified, the project is issued carbon credits which can be sold to those who want to offset carbon emissions.
Recently, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) called on the private sector to actively participate in forest restoration as a strategic path toward earning carbon credits and building climate resilience. DENR Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla certainly knows what he is talking about. He was a former DOE Secretary, the agency in charge of renewable energy projects.
The appeal was made during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the DENR and the Ayala Group of Companies under the Forests for Life: 5 Million Trees by 2028 program. This aims to plant at least five million indigenous forest trees across critical watershed areas in Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Rizal, Leyte, Bukidnon, and Lanao del Norte over the next three years, ensuring also the survival of these planted trees.
The Forests for Life Program is a flagship initiative aimed at establishing at least 5 million indigenous forest tree species nationwide with priority areas in Ilocos Norte, Rizal, Leyte, Bataan, Bukidnon, and Lanao del Norte from 2025 to 2028. This program seeks to address forest conservation, biodiversity restoration and climate change mitigation, while enhancing community livelihoods and private-sector engagement.
Going beyond traditional tree-planting activities, the Forests for Life program incorporates essential elements for generating high-integrity carbon credits with satellite and drone monitoring, carbon sequestration tracking, and data-driven forest management strategies to ensure accountability and measurable impact.
How many trees are needed to offset GHG? It estimated that a hectare of trees can absorb 50 tons of carbon, which equals about 180 tons of CO2 in the atmosphere. But not all trees are the same. Some forests store as little as 10 tons of carbon per hectare, while others store over 1,000.
An example of a company investing in reforestation is Microsoft. In early 2025, the company announced a significant deal to restore parts of the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic forests by purchasing 3.5 million carbon credits over 25 years from Re.green, a Brazilian start-up. This initiative, valued at approximately $200 million, is part of Microsoft’s strategy to become carbon-negative by 2030.
Well, let’s just plant, plant and plant and leave the complicated carbon trading system to the big players. Let’s do everything we can in our own limited ways to make a dent, no matter how small, to make this world a better place to live in.