Gojek and GoTo Financial, part of the GoTo Group, commemorated Earth Day on April 22 by introducing the #GoGreener Collective Tree. The feature enables GoRide and GoCar users to participate in the group’s tree planting program as part of its effort to help facilitate a more environmentally friendly lifestyle among users.
Users can contribute as little as Rp 1,000 (69 US cents) when using the GoRide on-demand service and Rp 2,000 when using the GoCar service through the #GoGreener mass tree planting program.
All users have to do is activate the #GoGreener Collective Tree feature by clicking the voucher button when ordering GoRide or GoCar.
The #GoGreen Collective Tree initiative is part of the group’s #GoGreener program, launched in 2019 to offset its carbon footprint. More than 100,000 users have contributed to the greening program less than a month since the initiative was launched, making it one of the most popular initiatives among users of the superapp.
The tree-planting program builds on Gojek’s previous GoGreener program, which offered the in-app GoGreener Emissions calculator so users could calculate their carbon footprint per day, by month or by year. Taking this total, individual users can determine how many trees should be planted to offset their own carbon footprint.
“We are proud that Gojek's technology has been able to move so many people to contribute to the environment in an increasingly easy way,” said Tanah Sullivan, head of sustainability at GoTo Group.
“Now, Gojek customers can participate in planting trees when they travel with GoRide or GoCar. Through the #GoGreener Collective Tree, on this Earth Day, Gojek is committed to adding the number of trees that consumers contribute from April 22 to May 21, 2022.”
The new feature is managed in collaboration with Jejak.in, a environmental start-up that harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) to provide monitoring and management solutions to combat climate change.
Gojek launched the new #GoGreen initiative by planting 1,000 seedlings at the Bedono coastal mangrove conservation area in Demak regency, Central Java. From 2020 until today, the on-demand and payment services company has planted and adopted a total of 5,000 trees in 13 different regions across the archipelago.
This year, the GoGreener program is also encouraging micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to contribute as stakeholders through its #DariAksiKecil (every little action) green education campaign. The awareness campaign provides education and facilities to help MSMEs in the Gojek and GoTo Financial ecosystems adopt and implement environmentally friendly business practices.
Tanah revealed that more than 1,700 MSME entrepreneurs had taken part in the latest #DariAksiKecil training series, held from February to April this year.
The company views the campaign as its responsibility in helping its MSME partners to grow their businesses.
“Of course, we want to continue to expand [our stakeholders’] understanding on the impacts and importance of environmentally friendly businesses,” said Tanah.
Toward this end, Gojek and GoTo Financial had published the #DariAksiKecil e-book, which was available to Gojek and GoTo Financial’s partners and users, as well as the greater public to download for free.
The campaign was also made possible through Gojek and GoTo Financial’s collaboration with Waste4Change and Avani Eco, added Tanah.
MSME partners could sell their used cooking oil and dry waste, such as cardboard and plastic packaging, to Waste4Change for recycling. Meanwhile, Avani Eco was offering promotional incentives to Gojek and GoTo Financial’s MSME partners for every purchase of its environmentally friendly packaging.
“The government has targeted the rehabilitation of 600,000 hectares of critical mangrove areas in Indonesia and needs pentahelix support, including from the private sector. This is in line with Gojek's initiative, which also invites users in its ecosystem to contribute to planting trees, which includes mangroves,” said Nani Hendiarti, deputy of environmental and forestry management coordination at the Office of the Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister.
Nani also highlighted the government’s success in reducing marine debris, expressing hope that it would continue to decline with Gojek’s contributions through raising awareness and facilitating waste management in its ecosystem.
“The issue of climate change must be communicated en masse, in a way that is easy to understand. Gojek's invitation to ‘plant trees while riding' shows that environmentally friendly measures can be carried out while we attend to our daily activities,” she said.
