Corporate bodies around the country are encouraged to actively participate in various environmental conservation initiatives.

Fiji Pine Trust Manager Lasarusa Turaga says they hope to see an increasing number of organizations partnering with them to execute the tree planting initiative and other environmental protection programs they offer.

Turaga says they have 49 pine schemes across the country and a good number of corporate bodies have come on board to support these relevant and critical initiatives.

“I know it’s not easy, given the marketing environment and the business concept of things. But coming on board to promote conservation and do the planting and ensuring its sustainability, I think that’s the way forward.”

He highlighted that around sixty percent of seedlings distributed to corporate bodies in recent years have gone to waste.

The seedlings are given to businesses to fulfil their social-corporate responsibilities and contribute to the government’s 30 million trees in 15 years initiative.