GCash’s big win for the environment: GForest plants 1 million trees nationwide

The Philippines’ leading digital mobile wallet company GCash announced it has planted 1 million trees through GForest, its environmental sustainability feature on the GCash app.

Since GForest’s launch in 2019, more than 10 million users have joined the cause. As of December 19, 2021, a total of 1,060,000 trees have been planted virtually by GForest users, 1 million of which have been converted to actual trees planted in various locations. This is considered a huge feat for all those who actively participated in the program as they champion environmental stewardship, in fact, if the amount of carbon emissions that GForest users saved were combined, GCash has actually collected enough green energy to fuel over 25 trips around the Earth by plane!

“We are helping 55 million Filipinos go digital and cashless for more efficient and environmentally friendly transactions. Our environmental conservation and awareness efforts extend towards giving back further with GForest. This also doubles as a reward system influencing our users to practice more green habits,” said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash.

GForest users earn green energy points by using the various cashless services of GCash, such as Send Money, Pay Bills, or Bank Transfer on the app – digital financial services that also lessen their carbon footprint, in addition to planting trees. GForest users can also collect green energy every time they walk if they enable GCash to access their health app or fitness tracker. These green energy points can be used to plant virtual trees. As of November 2021, more than 133 million digital, paperless transactions have been made in GCash to earn green energy points for GForest users. This is in line with the mission of GCash to support environmental sustainability by keeping individual carbon footprint low and helping fight climate change.

GCash executed several trailblazing GForest joint projects, including tree-planting partnerships with World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines, Ayala Land Inc., Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), HOPE and Century Pacific Food, Inc, in critical areas such as the Ipo Watershed, Alaminos Carbon Forest, Luyang Watershed and South Cotabato and Sarangani Provinces.

Diverse species of trees like Narra, Yakal, Molave, Guyabano and Coconut have been planted in these vulnerable locations nationwide, through GForest and its partners. Aside from these designated areas, GCash is also identifying new sites that it can reforest as it scales up its sustainability program in the country.

Through GForest, GCash was also able to support and empower local farming communities. With the tree-planting activities of GCash, HOPE and Century Pacific Inc., more than 2,000 coconut farmers received coconut seedlings which can help them have more produce and in turn, increase their revenue. With GCash, RAFI also conducted tree growing orientations and planting trainings for 150 farmers in order to guide them on tree-planting projects. The initiative aims to achieve 1.3 million trees planted by 2022.

GCash is the only fintech company in the Philippines to have a sustainability feature integrated within its app, and has been recognized by global sustainability organizations. Recently, WWF Philippines conferred the Conservation Innovation Award to GCash. The leading mobile wallet company was also recognized by Miss Earth ECO Awards 2021 as well as BIOFIN for the environmental impact the campaign has created.

"Being a tech company, it puts us in a good position to really promote less carbon footprint," adds Sazon. GForest is a concrete expression of the company’s ESG or environment, social and governance framework. GCash reiterates the importance of achieving financial results while ensuring we protect the environment, we take care of our people and the communities we operate in, as well as working closely with relevant stakeholders and governing bodies moving forward.

“The GForest program proves that marrying new technologies with creative sustainability solutions are something organizations can achieve. We thank our partners and users for making this milestone possible. We are looking forward to being more "One with the Nation" with our social responsibility initiatives in the years to come”, said ChitoManiago, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs of GCash.

"One with the Nation" is GCash's corporate social responsibility program employing various initiatives including NGO partnerships, programs on disaster response and environmental stewardship, as well as grassroots finlit education campaigns nationwide.

Aside from GForest, GCash's various digital products and services enable users to go cashless for various transactions, which helps reduce their carbon footprint and help fight climate change.

Continue to use GCash and become a “green hero” today!

For more information, visit www.gcash.com.