CarbonPH Coalition welcomes forestry investment initiative

CarbonPH Coalition welcomes forestry investment initiative | Daily Tribune

The CarbonPH Coalition, an alliance of top Philippine companies championing nature-based solutions and sustainable practices, has expressed full support for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)’s newly announced initiative identifying over 1.18 million hectares of potential forestry investment areas across the country.

The announcement was made during the second session of the CarbonPH Coalition Education Series (CCES), held at the Aboitiz Tech Space in the Asian Institute of Management, Makati City, which brought together private sector leaders, government officials, and sustainability advocates to explore investment opportunities and innovations in forest and watershed management.

Hosted by the Aboitiz Group, the event was attended by representatives from the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Sustainability PH, as well as leading companies including SM Investments Corporation, Toyota, Mitsubishi Corporation, Nickel Asia, JG Summit, Shell and SGV & Co.

A central focus of the event was DENR’s Forestry Investment Portfolio Approach (FIPA), a framework designed to streamline forestry investments by packaging land areas with the necessary permits, tenure instruments, and community protocols.

“We want to balance sustainability, conservation, and investments so we can contribute to the country’s economic growth,” said Atty. Ray Thomas Kabigting, assistant director of the DENR Forest Management Bureau.

Kabigting said DENR’s push for forest-based investments is backed by robust data and safeguards, including climate risk and vulnerability assessments, the enhancement of the Satellite Land Monitoring System (SLMS) to track forest cover changes, and the formalization of a Safeguards Information System (SIS) to uphold social and environmental protections under the REDD+ mechanism.

These national strategies align closely with the goals of the CarbonPH Project, a flagship initiative of Aboitiz Foundation in partnership with the Cebu Provincial Government.

Spanning over 42,000 hectares of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape and adjacent areas, CarbonPH is a long-term forest and watershed recovery effort focused on biodiversity restoration, water security, carbon sequestration, and sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities.

With a project horizon of 25 to 40 years, CarbonPH serves as a model for how corporations can engage in nature-positive investments that deliver measurable impact.

“Forests are vital not only for climate regulation and water security, but also for inclusive economic growth,” said Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, first vice president and chief reputation and sustainability officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures. “Through projects like CarbonPH, we are translating climate ambition into action by supporting science-based reforestation while empowering communities.”

As a collective of sustainability-driven companies, the CarbonPH Coalition is committed to supporting DENR’s initiatives with aligned investments, technical expertise, and long-term partnerships.