Hanwha Group Actively Responds to Climate Change by Creating Eco-Friendly Forests

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoonju Hwang] Hanwha Group is actively responding to climate change through its representative eco-friendly social contribution program, the 'Hanwha Solar Forest' campaign.

'Hanwha Solar Forest' is an initiative that Hanwha Group launched in 2011 in partnership with the social enterprise Triple Planet to create eco-friendly forests domestically and internationally in response to climate change. Starting with the Tojin Nars desertification prevention forest in Mongolia in 2012, the group has established a total of seven forests in China, Korea, and other locations. In total, approximately 500,000 trees have been planted over an area of about 1.33 million square meters (roughly 4.6 times the size of Yeouido).

The forests created have contributed to preventing desertification, purifying water, cleaning the air, and preventing soil erosion in their respective regions. In Mongolia, residents who had to leave their hometowns due to desertification caused by illegal logging and fires have returned and now sustain their livelihoods as forest managers following the establishment of the Hanwha Solar Forest, bringing tangible improvements to the local community.

Another special aspect of the ‘Hanwha Solar Forest’ is its solar-powered nurseries. Conventional nurseries use electricity to grow saplings, and most of this electricity is generated from fossil fuels, which emit carbon. In contrast, solar-powered nurseries use solar energy to cultivate saplings, making forest creation more environmentally friendly. Since the second forest, ‘Hanwha Solar Forest’ has been using saplings grown in solar-powered nurseries to establish forests.

Through ‘Hanwha Solar Forest,’ Hanwha Group has proposed solutions to environmental issues such as desertification, yellow dust, and fine dust, while encouraging public participation to raise awareness and empathy regarding environmental problems.

As a result of these efforts, the ‘Hanwha Solar Forest’ campaign was introduced as a model case at the 2011 UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties, recognized as the world’s first corporate case of using solar power to grow saplings for desertification prevention activities.

Additionally, considering the expansion of communication through digital spaces rather than face-to-face contact due to COVID-19, the campaign launched a dedicated app called ‘Solar Forest (SOLAR FOREST).’ This app is a game-like platform where users can select and grow desired plants in a virtual space. By filling solar panel energy and fully growing the plants, the ‘Garden Planting’ feature is activated, allowing users to create gardens with various themes. Once a garden is completed, the ‘Donate Garden’ feature becomes available. By choosing to donate, users can participate in creating the ‘Forest for All’ together with other donors.

Each garden can hold nine plants, and every time one garden is donated, the height of the Forest for All increases by one level. The more participants donate, the taller the forest grows. Hanwha Group plans to determine the scale of the ‘8th Solar Forest’ to be established next year based on the height of the Forest for All created through donations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.