Saudi telecoms company stc Group is known as one of the leading digital enablers in the Middle East, but it also has a deep commitment to environmental protection.
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Group’s pledge to plant one million trees by 2030, an ambitious target that is already on the way to being achieved.
The initiative encompasses efforts both in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Gulf region, and is part of wider efforts to reduce the impact on the environment of the Group’s efforts to drive digital transformation.
“Our commitment to environmental conservation is evidenced by our pledge to plant one million trees, further
showcasing our dedication to societal and ecological well-being,” Abdullah Abdulrahman Alkanhl, stc Group's chief strategy officer, wrote in the company’s Sustainability Report 2023.
stc aims to achieve net zero with its operations by 2050, an ambition aligned with the goals of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Paris Agreement, which aims to limit temperature increases to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.
In Saudi Arabia, where the tree planting forms part of the Saudi Green Initiative, 200,000 trees are being planted around telecoms towers in Taif governorate, in Saudi Arabia's western Makkah province.
Tawal, the Saudi telecoms infrastructure company that is part of stc Group, last year planted 1,500 trees in a park in the country, bringing the number of trees it has planted over the past three years to 4,500.
Significant tree planting efforts have also been undertaken by stc Bahrain, which along with partners launched the Trees for Life campaign.
This aims to improve air quality in Bahrain, highlight environmental awareness, reduce desertification and ameliorate temperature increases.
Trees can cut temperatures in multiple ways, including through shading and by evapotranspiration, in which water is released through evaporation and transpiration.
As water changes from liquid to gas it uses up energy, which is taken from the surrounding air, creating a cooling effect.
Tree planting can also, stc says, provide new habitats for wildlife, making it an important way of helping to maintain biodiversity.
“Reforestation has a positive impact on climate change and plays a pivotal role in preserving and restoring biodiversity, which is why stc Group has committed to planting one million trees by 2030. The initiative aims to yield more than 25,000 tons of CO2 e [carbon dioxide equivalent] per year,” stc states in its Sustainability Report 2023.
“At stc, we also continuously seek to minimise the impact on the local environment from our ongoing operations, including any negative impacts on protected areas or endangered species.”
Early last year, at the conclusion of the first phase of the Trees for Life campaign, stc Bahrain revealed that it had already planted 35,000 trees at 50 locations, and would follow this up with the planting of a further 50,000 in the next phase of the programme.
After more than 33 public and private sector organisations, along with over 200 of stc Bahrain’s employees, took part in the initiative, the Trees for Life campaign triumphed in the Environmental Endeavour Category at The International CSR Excellence Awards in July last year.
Working alongside the Supreme Council for Environment and the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, stc’s work in Bahrain is part of a national initiative to increase the number of trees in the country from 1.8 million to 3.6 million by 2035.
These efforts tie in with the Bahrain government’s target of spurring both the public and private sectors to take actions that will see the country reach net zero carbon emissions by 2060.
In a further demonstration of stc Group’s concern for the environment, before it begins its initiatives, the company undertakes site assessments and surveys to identify areas of ecological concern and to inform management practices.