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Microsoft’s Green Initiative: Expanding Urban Forests in West Java

In Cikarang, West Java, the Greenland International Industrial Center (GIIC) is starting to be crisscrossed with corridors of green. Over the past two years, Trees4Trees has been working with Microsoft and One Tree Planted to regreen this urban area, by planting trees and engaging communities in reforestation efforts. These trees will be joined by new growth in the weeks ahead, as part of a new chapter in the ongoing story of regeneration in Cikarang.

In November 2022, the tree-planting initiative kicked off in the Greenland International Industrial Center (GIIC) in Bekasi and the Karawang International Industrial Center (KIIC) in Karawang. As two of Indonesia’s biggest industrial hubs, both locations have to contend with serious environmental issues, from air pollution and rising temperatures to soil degradation and subsidence.

With more than 40,000 trees planted between 2022 and 2023, both have seen positive changes over time, with more improvements ready to take root in the months ahead. From December 2024 to February 2025, an additional 20,000 trees are being planted, further enhancing the urban environment with nature-based solutions.

Restoring soil, reviving the ecosystem

The primary goal of the latest tree-planting program is to conserve water and soil. Several species of shade trees will be planted over the next few months, including burflower (jabon), albizia, suren, and black-wood cassia (johar). “We intend to plant 14,500 trees in the GIIC, and more in community lands around the KIIC,” explains Pandu Budi Wahono, Director of Trees4Trees.

“Industrial areas tend to feature marginal lands characterized by nutrient-deficient soils,” he says. “To address this issue, Trees4Trees focuses on planting fast-growing shade trees that are both well-suited to poor soil and able to improve it over time by recycling nutrients. Restoring soil health and reviving the ecosystem is our top priority,” he added.

Pandu and Arina — Pandu Budi Wahono (left), Trees4Trees’ Director presents a tree-planting certificate to Arina Dafir (right), Microsoft’s Community Affairs Manager – Southeast Asia.

A new chapter in the story

To kick off the next phase of Microsoft’s ongoing urban forestry initiative, a tree-planting event was held on November 22, 2024, at GIIC, Cikarang. The event involved Microsoft’s stakeholders and staff, with over 100 volunteers working together to plant 600 new trees. “We want to be part of the community, and we’ve brought together all the different stakeholders today to support this program,” said Arina Dafir, Microsoft’s Community Affairs Manager – Southeast Asia.

One of these stakeholders is the Nusantara Academy, represented by Erick Hadi, the founder of the academy. He confirmed they are committed to promoting environmental awareness: “it’s great to see a lot of companies today sending representatives to do something good for the Earth,” he said at the event. Kentaro Miyashita, GA Admin Advisor of Jaya Obayashi, who also volunteered for this event, said “I hope events like this will continue in the future, encouraging more people to join, providing them with opportunities to think more about the global environment.”

Impact and inspiration: Working together with local communities

The event demonstrated Microsoft’s wider commitment to creating lasting impacts, both on the environment and in local communities living near the data center in GIIC. “In addition to tree planting,” explains Microsoft’s Community Engagement Lead for Indonesia, Dania Pratiwi, “Microsoft has also undertaken other initiatives including providing local communities with access to clean water, community empowerment funding for school infrastructure development, and digital skills improvement,” she said.

Tree Planting event — Not only adults, but also children, under their parents’ supervision, volunteered to plant trees.

“It’s truly inspiring how Microsoft invites the community to work together for a better environment,” said Danastri Widoningtyas, Program Manager of Yayasan Rumah Energi, one of Microsoft’s community partners. Happy Syarifudin, from the GIIC Community Relations department, also noted that Microsoft’s initiative has already inspired some other companies to follow their example. “I believe in the coming year more companies will engage in similar initiatives,” he said.

‘Responsible neighbors’: Microsoft Global Sustainability Goals

Through an ongoing process of urban forest expansion, Microsoft aims to achieve lasting impacts that align with their global sustainability goals. To support this mission, Microsoft is continually looking for new ways to give back to nature and engender a more sustainable, better-connected society.

“Supporting programs like this is an investment in the future,” explains Arina Dafir, Microsoft’s Community Manager – Southeast Asia, “because the trees that we plant today will continue to benefit nature and communities for many years to come. We are striving to be good, responsible neighbors to the communities we live with and the environment we operate in.”

Highlighting the visible green impact of the tree-planting initiative on the industrial area, Happy Syarifudin, representing GIIC management, expressed his sincere gratitude to Microsoft and Trees4Trees for their collaboration. “This marks the third year of Microsoft’s urban forestry initiative. We hope this program will continue to expand, bringing greater benefits to both the environment and the local community,” he said.

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Editor: Chris Alexander. Photos: Yulianisa Dessenita & Kemas Duga Muis/Trees4Trees

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Growing Green: Microsoft’s Continued Urban Forestry Initiative

(Microsoft; Growing Green) It was only 8 AM, but already hot as an oven in the GIIC industrial area in Bekasi, just east of Jakarta. Sweltering days are par for the course around here, in one of West Java’s largest and busiest industrial centers, where buildings and factories are scattered all around, and trees are hard to come by.

But all that is beginning to change. Microsoft Operations Indonesia has teamed up with Trees4Trees and One Tree Planted to launch a tree –planting program that will bring shade to the industrial estate and a range of benefits to the surrounding landscape and communities.

CSR Tree Planting event — (Above) Seedlings planted in 2022 have taken root and are beginning to grow (Photo: Kemas Duga Muis/Trees4Trees)

Balancing development with environment

This program kicked off in 2022 – 2023, when 22,800 trees were planted. Following the success of that pilot project, 19,000 more trees are being planted in 2024.

“Together with Microsoft, our goal is to enhance the greenery and create a healthier environment in industrial areas,” explains Pandu Budi Wahono, Trees4Trees’ Program Manager.

Trees chosen for the program include gmelina and rain trees, which can provide some much-needed shade. Other, multipurpose trees like petai, durian, and jackfruit have also been chosen, as they can provide fruit and other resources for the local community.

Regreening the urban jungle

In December 2023, 500 new trees were planted in GIIC by a team of volunteers made up of Microsoft staff, partners, and clients marking the starting of the tree-planting initiative.

“This tree –planting event serves as a reminder for those of us, who work in the technology field, about the significance of environmental protection,” said Elizabeth Simatupang, who is the Data Center Operations Manager at Microsoft Operation Indonesia.

She also revealed that volunteering had made her more aware of the many benefits trees can offer. “I hope the trees we’ve planted will produce more oxygen and be beneficial to the environment, aligning with our motto: Technology should not cost the Earth,” she added.

Gavin Hodge is DCD Project Manager at Microsoft Operations Indonesia. This was his second time volunteering with Trees4Trees, and he felt energized to see so many people working to support the environment.

“It’ is great to see so many people get involved,” said Gavin, referring to the various Microsoft partners and team members onboard with the project. “I hope big trees will stay here for a long time and remove carbon dioxide, making it a better place to live,” he added.

A watershed moment for urban replanting

Although the program focuses on creating an urban forest, improving degraded land and providing tree cover, its goals go even further. The industrial areas are located downstream of the Citarum river, specifically alongside the Cipamingkis and Cikalapa rivers., The program aims to restore the watershed and return forest cover to the region, addressing a range of complex challenges triggered by developmental pressures.

Amung is a local farmer and one of the project partners, who helps out by growing trees for the planting activities. In recent times, he’s seen the dangers of deforestation and land degradation firsthand: “Recently, when the river burst its banks and flowed into my field, many of my plants were lost.” He blames excessive upstream development for the flood, noting that severe river siltation left the rainwater with nowhere else to go.

The benefits of Microsoft’s extended planting program spread beyond the industrial estate and into the surrounding landscape, impacting lives and livelihoods in unexpected ways. In addition to providing shade and restoring the watershed, planting trees here can help prevent flooding and protect local farmers from potential ruin. Technology shouldn’t cost the Earth. Thanks to the latest initiatives by Microsoft and partners, development is headed in a more positive direction.

Watch the video: Urban Forestry Tree-planting with Microsoft

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Editor: Christopher Alexander

bekasi citarum restoration karawang microsoft reforestation urban forestry

Regreening Jakarta’s Concrete Jungle through Urban Forestry

In terms of urban area, Jakarta is the second biggest city in the world. And it’s still growing; areas on the outskirts are quickly swallowed by the urban sprawl, and the increasing number of industrial centers is already having an environmental impact. But in the satellite towns of Bekasi and Karawang, locals are finding ways to push back against the concrete tide: by planting more trees.

Replanting urban forests offers all kinds of benefits. Trees combat pollution and lower temperatures. They provide habitats for animals and livelihoods for people. They filter drinking water, protect against flooding and prevent soil erosion. On a larger scale, urban forests are proven to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change by sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Going Green in Greenland: Trees4Trees’ Replanting Program

Recognizing the importance of urban forests, and with support from Microsoft and One Tree Planted, Trees4Trees kicked off a tree-planting initiative in the Greenland International Industrial Center (GIIC) in Bekasi and the Karawang International Industrial Center (KIIC) in Karawang. The program, which began in November 2022, has already covered an area of 25 hectares.

“With this project, our goal is to plant 25,000 trees in GIIC and KIIC,” explains Anto Wartono, Planning Manager at Trees4Trees. “We hope these trees will soon grow into urban forests.”

According to Anto, Trees4Trees has already planted 17,778 trees around GIIC and KIIC. Around 8,000 more trees are expected to be planted in the area over the next few weeks.

The program actually went beyond planting. To raise public awareness about the importance of green spaces in urban areas, Trees4Trees engaged with local women farmers and ran an environmental campaign in local schools and communities.

Rehabilitating the Riverbanks

One of the main goals of the project is to restore areas around rivers. In recent years, the riverbanks have been eroding away due to land conversion. Trees4Trees focused on areas either side of the Cipamingkis and Cikalapa rivers, which flow through the GIIC area in Bekasi and the KIIC in Karawang, respectively.

In Jakarta, temporary shelters are a common sight on the city’s riverbanks. During the rainy season, rising water levels can lead to floods and landslides. Adding trees to the banks of rivers is an effective defense against these dangers.

“Many riverbanks have been converted into residential areas and semi-permanent buildings,” says Anto, who has experienced plenty of obstacles to urban planting. “Unlike in rural areas, planting trees in urban areas is more challenging – there are only a few spaces we can use as green areas.”

Greening Industrial Areas, Supporting Farmers

The process of urbanization and land conversion is also squeezing farmers off their land. As part of the urban forest project, Trees4Trees has been working with displaced farmers, helping them establish plantations in the newly reforested areas. By planting trees with high economic value – like durian, avocado, and caqui – we are helping devise new and sustainable ways to support local livelihoods.

“We have planted 3,085 trees in two villages around KIIC, Puseurjaya and Margamulya village,” says Anto. “While in the GIIC buffer zone, we have planted 2,300 trees in Pasirtanjung village by involving local farmers,” he added.

Preserving Biodiversity

Trees4Trees’ work in KIIC also covered the Telaga Desa conservation area; an educational park that provides a precious green oasis in Karawang. As part of the project, more than 3,000 trees were planted here. Trees species chosen for this purpose included kemang (white mango), buni (currant), pulai (blackboard tree), mundu (yellow mangosteen), genitri (rudraksha), puspa (needlewood), and gandaria (mango plum).

“These trees will grow 20 meters high in 5 years,” explains Gavin Hodge, the DCD Project Manager at Microsoft. He joined the activity in GIIC and KIIC area as a volunteer tree planter, and believes this project will offer a range of benefits. “(It’s) going to protect our environment and improve the estate, while also improving the situation for the community. So it’s good that Microsoft can be a part of it.”

With support from Microsoft, and in collaboration with local farmers, schools, and communities, Trees4Trees will continue replanting urban areas around Jakarta. Every sapling holds enormous potential. In time, they could change the landscape in one of the world’s biggest urban areas.

To find out more about our ongoing replanting programs, and to see how you can help, visit devtrees4trees.portopaper.com.