Enviro News Asia, Surabaya — The Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) reaffirmed its commitment to a green campus by planting 2,100 trees at its Sukolilo campus on Sunday (October 9, 2025). This large-scale initiative is part of the university’s 65th Anniversary (Dies Natalis) and 13th Lustrum celebration, marking an important milestone toward achieving the Net Zero Emission 2030 target.
The tree-planting event involved broad collaboration between the ITS Academic Senate, the ITS Alumni Association (IKA ITS), the East Java Provincial Government, the Surabaya City Government, as well as thousands of new students, lecturers, and staff. The intergenerational and interinstitutional enthusiasm made this initiative the largest ecological movement at ITS this year.
A total of 2,100 tree seedlings were contributed by 18 regional chapters of IKA ITS — including representatives of overseas alumni — and 25 departmental chapters. Support also came from several institutions, such as the River Basin Management Agency (BPDAS), the Horticultural Seed Development Unit in Pasuruan, the East Java Department of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Forestry Seed Breeding Unit in Sidoarjo.
With this latest planting, the total number of trees across the ITS area has reached 12,900, up significantly from 10,800. This expansion of green cover not only beautifies the campus landscape but also strengthens ITS’s role as a low-carbon university actively absorbing emissions and improving air quality.
The initiative aligns with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). Beyond contributing to climate change mitigation, it also enriches biodiversity and helps maintain the water balance within the campus ecosystem.
The tree-planting activity is part of the broader ITS Smart Eco Campus program, which integrates land conservation, low-emission mobility, and energy management under one framework aimed at achieving Net Zero Carbon 2030. Through collaboration with alumni, government, and community partners, ITS positions itself as one of Indonesia’s leading pioneers of sustainable campuses.
Carrying the slogan “Creating, Innovating, Impacting,” ITS invites all members of its academic community and the public to support greening movements as a sustainable lifestyle. From the Sukolilo campus, this small yet significant action is expected to take root as a foundation for a greener and healthier Indonesia. (*)
