The Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project has had its first Monitoring Report verified, an achievement that demonstrates that it meets internationally recognised standards for its Climate, Community and Biodiversity progress.
This milestone enables the conservation initiative, which is protecting and restoring 83,381 ha of tropical rainforest in the Tongod and Kinabatangan district in the Malaysia state of Sabah, to generate its first tranche of Verified Carbon Units (VCU).
The project has been developed as a public private partnership between Sabah Forestry Department, Rakyat Berjaya Sdn. Bhd. of Yayasan Sabah, and Permian Malaysia, a subsidiary of Permian Global. Permian Global has provided most of the investment for the project. The project has carried out in a very transparent manner involving state authorities and local NGO involvement especially operational support from the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) and community-focussed organisation, the PACOS Trust. The forest area, which was selectively logged in the past, has been protected from further logging or degradation and can now regenerate.
The core objectives of the project are:
1.Ensure the forest’s carbon remains stored in the living biomass to help combat climate change
2.Safeguard a thriving biodiverse landscape and conserve important endangered species
3.Improve the livelihoods, well-being and sustainable economic opportunities of the local communities
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, who is also Chairman, Yayasan Sabah Board of Trustees said, “With the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project, Sabah is in a position to be a world leader in delivering effective and impactful forest carbon projects. As a public private partnership, it is important that endeavours like these not only provide ecosystem protection but also support the people of Sabah, especially those most directly affected. To this end, we are grateful to be working with partners that are just as dedicated to this holistic approach to project development.”
Ivy Wong, Chief Executive of Permian Malaysia, said “we have been honoured to collaborate with such dedicated and responsive partners on the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project and to see all our efforts recognised through this third-party verification to protect such an important and charismatic ecosystem.
“Tropical forest protection is essential for mitigating climate change. To be truly effective, integrity must be built into every aspect of the development process. An important part of this is ensuring local communities are involved and have the means to improve their well-being, so that protection of nature is integrated into their livelihood opportunities,” explains Wong.
Dr Glen Reynolds, SEARRP Director, said: “it really is fantastic to see this project over the line and generating revenues to protect this crucial area of forest – which aside from having enormous conservation, climate mitigation and biodiversity value in its own right, plays a critical role in buffering the primary forests of Danum Valley. SEARRP is delighted to partner with Permian, the Sabah Foundation, Sabah Forestry Department and the PACOS Trust in the delivery of this ground-breaking, science-led project. I would also like to thank the Rainforest Trust for providing a grant which co-funded, with Permian and SEARRP, the initial development of the project”.
For more information about the project, please visit: www.permianglobal.com/projects/kuamut-rainforest-conservation-project or contact David Stone, Head of Communications, Permian Global david.stone@permianglobal.com
Sabah Forestry Department
Sabah Forestry Department is a Sabah State agency that works to effectively and efficiently plan and implement the management of the State’s forest resources in accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management. Sabah is committed to ensure that at least 50% of Sabah’s land mass is designated and protected for sustainable forest use and tree cover for environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic well-being
Yayasan Sabah
Yayasan Sabah Group is a Sabah State Government Statutory Body established to provide educational opportunities and facilities to Malaysians in Sabah. Also, the organisation imparts the distribution of economic resources among the people besides assisting welfare institutions and victims of natural disasters.
Founded by Sabah’s Father of Independence, the late Tun Datu Haji Mustapha bin Datu Harun, Yayasan Sabah Group has initiated measures to improve the socio-economic well-being of the people while thriving the economic sector without compromising its commitment to environmental preservation.
Rakyat Berjaya Sdn. Bhd.
Rakyat Berjaya Sdn. Bhd. (RBJ) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yayasan Sabah. It manages forest concession area incoherent with the Sabah Forestry Department directive on Forest Certification to ensure the economic, social and environmental obligations and values comply with applicable certification standards.
Permian Malaysia / Permian Global
Permian Malaysia manages the Kuamut Rainforest Conservation Project and is a subsidiary of Permian Global.
Permian Global is a business that is working for the protection and recovery of natural tropical forests.
By developing and running tropical forest projects, where carbon remains locked away within the growing biomass and soils, Permian Global generates high-quality Verified Emission Units (VEUs), or carbon credits. In parallel with carbon emissions mitigation through our projects, we maximise the associated positive benefits, in terms of ecological and social gains.
Permian Global has teams in Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Peru.
For more information www.permianglobal.com
SEARRP
Established by the Royal Society in 1985 and headquartered at Sabah’s Danum Valley Field Centre, the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) facilitates world-class scientific research that addresses the major environmental issues facing the tropics: plantation development, habitat restoration, and climate change.
For more information www.searrp.org
The PACOS Trust
The PACOS Trust is a community-based organization dedicated to supporting indigenous communities in Sabah. PACOS (‘Partners of Community Organisation in Sabah’) strives to empower indigenous communities through systematic building and strengthening of community organizations, by support networking among communities that are struggling to assert rights over resources and by revitalizing indigenous knowledge systems.