Why support this project?
The ecologically significant tropical peatlands within the project area store approximately 20 times more carbon below ground than in above-ground vegetation, highlighting their important role as a carbon sink. The Katingan Mentaya REDD project finances the conservation of these peatlands by appropriately valuing the natural capital and the ecosystem services they provide, thus preventing significant volumes of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.
BeZero, which provides a third-party carbon crediting rating system, gives this project a rating of A.
Who we work with
This project was founded and is managed by PT Rimba Makmur Utama (RMU). RMU focuses on nature-based solutions in Indonesia to protect and restore natural, social and economic ecosystems. Since 2013, RMU has been managing the Katingan Mentaya Project, which was established in 2017 in response to the climate crisis. RMU’s strong belief that the peat forest of Kalimantan, Indonesia, can still be saved and restored by providing local communities with a sustainable source of income is the massive driver behind this project and has even led to other initiatives to help reduce emissions and give back to local communities.
Project Location
The project protects more than 149,000 hectares, making it one of the largest remaining areas of intact peat swamp forest in South-East Asia.
Community impact:
In partnership with 34 local villages, the project aligns with sustainable development initiatives by building community capacity, increasing employment and education. By fostering inclusive partnerships and a culture of nature connection and sustainability in local communities, the project serves to reduce poverty, enhance the wellbeing of communities, and reorient deforestation trends and their destructive environmental and climate impacts.
The Katingan Mentaya Project is living proof that carbon finance can combat climate change. The largest program of its kind, it generates an average 7.5 million triple gold certified carbon credits annually; equivalent to taking 2,000,000 cars off the road each year. In partnership with local communities, the project utilises carbon revenues to ensure natural forest restoration and protection.
Biodiversity impact:
The project activities deliver vital biodiversity conservation outcomes. The project protects vital peatland habitats in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, for five Critically Endangered, eight Endangered and 31 Vulnerable species. The protected area is home to between 5 and 10% of the global populations of the Bornean Orangutan, Proboscis Monkey and Southern Bornean Gibbon.