HÀ NỘI — Continuing its long-term commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, Unilever Vietnam and OMO on January 16 marked a new milestone in their green journey with the launch of the initiative “Together with OMO, Sowing a Million Green Shoots to Cover Thousands of Forests”.

At the ceremony, 20,000 seed balls were presented to Núi Chúa–Phước Bình National Park in Khánh Hòa Province, marking the next chapter of the “Sowing a Million Green Shoots” project.

The initiative follows Unilever’s broader programme “Acting for a Green Việt Nam” and represents a meaningful step in conserving biodiversity, improving forest ecosystem quality, and reinforcing the role of forests and trees in socio-economic development.

Beyond reforestation, the project also aims to protect ecological landscapes and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, an increasingly urgent priority for Việt Nam.

Speaking at the ceremony, Triệu Văn Lực, Deputy Director of the Forestry and Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, praised the initiative for its depth and effectiveness.

He described the programme as a meaningful, practical and impactful activity in forest development, nature conservation and biodiversity protection, and stressed the importance of sustained private-sector participation.

“This is an activity that demonstrates social responsibility towards the cause of building and protecting the nation’s forest resources, for the living environment of today and for future generations,” Lực said.

He also highlighted Việt Nam’s broader progress under the Government’s “Planting One Billion Trees for the 2021–25 Period” scheme. After five years of implementation, the country has planted 1.45 billion trees, exceeding the original target by 45 per cent.

“This is a very positive outcome, reflecting the strong engagement of the whole of society,” he added.

Within that collective effort, Khánh Hòa Province planted more than 18.4 million trees, while Unilever alone contributed one million trees nationwide and has committed to continuing its partnership in the years ahead.

From a corporate perspective, the project represents a sustained and evolving journey rather than a one-off campaign.

Lê Thị Hồng Nhi, Deputy Director in charge of Communications, External Affairs and Sustainable Development at Unilever Vietnam, recalled the origins of the initiative five years ago, when the Government first launched the one-billion-tree campaign.

“Five years ago, the goal was deeply meaningful, especially in the context of increasingly severe natural disasters, floods, landslides and climate change across Việt Nam,” she said.

“Unilever and the OMO brand took the lead, working closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, to implement the Government’s programme.”

By 2025, the company reached the symbolic milestone of planting one million trees nationwide.

According to Nhi, this five-year journey resulted in more than 472 hectares of forest cover across 21 provinces and cities, alongside the distribution of 80,000 seed balls to 12 national parks. Between 2021 and 2025, a total of 1,010,900 trees were planted across Việt Nam’s diverse ecological regions.

Innovation has been a defining feature of the programme. In 2022, Unilever and OMO piloted the use of drones to disperse seed balls, an approach designed to protect seeds from harsh natural conditions, retain moisture during the rainy season and improve germination rates.

This method, Nhi explained, is particularly suited to challenging terrain where manual planting is difficult or unsafe.

Such conditions are characteristic of Núi Chúa National Park, which is known for its unique dry coastal forest ecosystem. Flanked by a long coastline on one side and rugged rocky mountains on the other, the area features complex and steep terrain that limits human access.

Often described as the “green lung” of the South Central region, Núi Chúa plays a vital role in ecological balance and climate resilience.

Returning to the park this year, Unilever and OMO donated 20,000 seed balls containing valuable native species such as Diospyros mun, Sindora siamensis var. siamensis and Ailanthus triphysa. These species are considered important for preserving natural genetic resources for future generations.

At the handover ceremony, Trần Văn Tiếp, Director of Núi Chúa–Phước Bình National Park, praised Unilever’s creative and context-sensitive approach. He emphasised that the seed-ball method is particularly well suited to the park’s dry, windy climate with limited rainfall.

“I am very pleased to accompany Unilever Vietnam in organising the programme Together with OMO, Sowing a Million Green Shoots to Cover Thousands of Forests, which holds profound significance for the protection and conservation of nature in Núi Chúa National Park,” Tiếp said.

“I highly value Unilever’s attention to the park and hope this will become an annual activity, extending the journey of greening forests and bringing more green shoots to this sun- and wind-swept land.”

Looking ahead, he expressed confidence in the programme’s long-term vision.

“As the initiative enters a new phase with a long-term outlook, it demonstrates the strong commitment of Unilever and OMO to ecosystem restoration and to building a sustainable green Việt Nam.

“I firmly believe that the green shoots sown today will become thriving forests in the future, contributing to conservation and sustainable development.”

The “Together with OMO, Sowing a Million Green Shoots to Cover Thousands of Forests” initiative builds on years of consistent effort and tangible results, serving as a springboard for Unilever and OMO’s next commitment: planting an additional one million trees during the 2026–30 period.

Beyond numbers, the “Sowing a Million Green Shoots” project seeks to establish a multi-layered green structure capable of addressing climate change, strengthening protective forests in upstream and coastal areas, enhancing landscapes, safeguarding biodiversity and supporting sustainable livelihoods.

Equally important, the programme carries a strong community and educational dimension. By raising public awareness of nature conservation and environmental responsibility, it reinforces the idea that protecting forests is not only a policy goal or corporate pledge, but a shared responsibility that shapes the living environment of both today’s society and generations to come./.