In just three years, Megaworld to triple  its carbon forest cover to 1,500 hectares

Property giant Megaworld’s green footprint is set to reach a new peak as it will soon triple its total carbon forest cover in just three years, expanding significantly from only 240 hectares at the start of 2023 to about 1,500 hectares this year.

This milestone, which is equivalent to about one-fifth of Megaworld’s total current landbank, is seen to grow further as the company continues its partnership with key groups and organizations for its strategic reforestation and decarbonization program. At present, Megaworld has planted more than 550,000 trees in different locations across the country, enabling the company to effectively capture about 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). This initiative further strengthens the group’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality, promote biodiversity, and enhance livelihood support for its partner communities.

“By adopting and caring for forest lands in key areas all over the country, we are taking decisive action to protect the environment and secure a greener future for generations of Filipinos. We are grateful for the support of our partner communities and organizations who remain strategically aligned with our goal to embrace and promote sustainability,”  says Jose Arnulfo Batac, head of sustainability, Megaworld.

At present, Megaworld continues to strengthen its sustainability partnerships with key organizations, led by the Philippine Army, and local community groups to significantly expand its carbon forest cover nationwide. Currently, Megaworld’s carbon forests are located in key areas within Quezon City, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Batangas, and Palawan in Luzon, and Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan, and Bacolod in the Visayas.

This reforestation and decarbonization initiative is part of the company’s Project Tree Point Five Million, which is aimed at growing 3.5 million native and endemic trees in its various townships and adopted communities across the Philippines.

“Our reforestation efforts drive measurable impact for our sustainability programs through three key pillars. First, planting native and endemic species directly captures and stores harmful greenhouse gases that would otherwise reach the atmosphere if left uncontained. Second, this effort helps us rebuild local ecosystems to support and protect native wildlife. Lastly, the fruit-bearing trees like cacao that we plant help create sustainable livelihood opportunities that drive economic growth for our local community partners,” adds Batac.

Through sustainability efforts anchored on the company’s various environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs, Megaworld has successfully shifted to using 100% renewable energy for its companyowned office, mall, and hotel properties. This is a significant step that enabled the company to achieve carbon neutrality for Scopes 1 and 2 within its commercial properties 10 years in advance, on the road to reaching carbon net zero by 2050.

Last year, Project Tree Point Five Million received the ‘Biodiversity Conservation Award’ at the ESG Business Awards 2025 held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, joining other standout corporate programs in the region recognized for their significant contributions to ESG practices. Other Megaworld sustainability programs commended during the ceremony include the company’s Goal Zero Waste Program (Waste Management Award); Megaworld Lifestyle Malls’ Shift to 100% Renewable Energy (Renewable Energy Adoption Award); and Iloilo Business Park as Western Visayas’ first fully-integrated Smart Urban Township (Smart City Award).

These strategic sustainability initiatives form part of Megaworld’s broader long-term sustainability program, MEGreen, which consolidates all environmental efforts under a unified platform aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).