Ayala Land, Inc. - Innovation in Living, Learning, and Working Environments
Company: Ayala Land, Inc., Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Category: Award for Innovation in Living, Learning, and Working Environments
Nomination Title: Nuvali T.R.E.E.
Essay:
Nuvali had championed the growth of Philippine trees since day one when it started in the 1990s. These endemic trees are front and center of any meaningful conversation about sustainability at Nuvali – they anchor the estate’s focus on site-resiliency, water conservation, natural heritage preservation, and climate adaptability.
To fully infuse sustainability principles and a distinct sense of place into Nuvali, the estate continues to grow its 10-year old T.R.E.E. Program (Together Reforesting the Earth’s Environment). Through actual protected land, gardens, measured scientific systems, and creative displays, this program has already transformed what started as a public relations tool into powerful environmental advocacy.
Ayala Land created Nuvali to be the country’s leading green eco-community – peaceful, harmonious, environmentally upright, and able to withstand climate-change challenges. This vision explains why the propagation of endemic or native trees is critical to the success of Nuvali as a whole – it is at the core of its value proposition. Over the past century, however, city planners have segmented and transformed ecologically productive land into artificial landscapes. Such spaces use imported tree species brought in for their ornamental value. These exotic plants compete with the more critical native varieties, and often degrade habitats as they are unaccustomed to their new environments. This is why Nuvali’s T.R.E.E. Program is key to opening more doors to move its green advocacy forward by championing the strength and beauty of native trees.
Nuvali developed its T.R.E.E. Program to impart a powerful and vital message. As such, Nuvali specifically designed the program to be measurable and attainable with clear timelines and clear lines of responsibility.
The first objective is to achieve at least 60% ratio of native trees out of the total number of tree species used in landscaping within Nuvali Estate. This will make the estate resilient to climate-change-related natural calamities, improve the lives of people in the community, and advance Nuvali’s image as the country’s top green estate.
The second objective is to dedicate 120 hectares as carbon forest sinks and increase Nuvali’s contribution to the country’s overall GHG-reduction performance.
The TREE Program follows a two-pronged strategy. First, the company has planned to integrate the TREE Program in the core business strategy of Nuvali to ensure it grows alongside the profit growth of the estate. This is then followed by Nuvali’s advocacy on the importance, benefits, and propagation of native trees through various sub-programs and campaigns. Nuvali then invested a lot of resources to create public showcases for the trees – from a 3.2-hectare rainwater catchment basin while offering a peaceful respite for the community; to demo garden patches, and a 17-kilometer long wildlife and bird sanctuary. In terms of schedules, this program carries a long-term strategy with clear timelines and targets year on year, with a commitment that will last for generations to come. Nuvali has seen growth in various aspects.
On the economic front, the company has enjoyed a major reduction in utility expenses. The Nuvali estate had also saved P6.4 Million by avoiding the purchase of vermicompost and trees from external sources. The community participation rate has also improved tracking a 23% increase in tree-planting volunteers vs. previous year. While environmental benefits include the propagation of 29,814 plants in Nuvali’s tree nursery and the planting and nurturing of 7,978 saplings from 2018 to 2019. The increase in the number of volunteers compared to the previous year showed an increase in the public’s awareness and appreciation for native trees and reforestation initiatives in general. The active and frequent discussions on Climate Change and the need to act on environmental issues contributed to the success of the program. Even with minimal campaigning, the community took the initiative to reach out to learn more about its programs and how they could participate.
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