Biodiversity and landscape initiatives

SIPEF operates in ecologically rich regions, home to tropical forests and abundant biodiversity. We recognise our unique position and are committed to protecting and enhancing all natural ecosystems while reducing climate-related impacts. This includes decoupling deforestation from agricultural production and embedding sustainable land-use principles across all our operations.

Our commitments are articulated in our Responsible Plantations Policy (RPP) and Responsible Purchasing Policy (RPuP), which set clear requirements for responsible land management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable sourcing throughout our supply chain. These policies are supported by comprehensive High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments, ensuring that ecological and cultural landscapes are identified, protected, and monitored.

SIPEF’s biodiversity approach is built around two strategic pillars:

Conserving high-value ecosystems through no deforestation, no new development on peat, and no exploitation (NDPE) policies, and by protecting and monitoring designated set-aside areas.
Enabling integrated landscape initiatives that combine conservation, restoration, and sustainable livelihoods to build climate-resilient production landscapes.

Conservation areas within SIPEF’s concessions

Within our concessions in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, SIPEF has permanently set aside thousands of hectares of HCV and HCS areas as conservation zones.

HCV areas are natural habitats with important biological, ecological, social, or cultural values. These areas are identified and managed to maintain or enhance biodiversity, ecosystem services, and sites of significance to local communities, in line with RSPO and HCV network guidance.
HCS forests are tropical forests recognised for their role in carbon storage, biodiversity, and community use. The HCS Approach distinguishes these areas from land suitable for development and supports their conservation to halt deforestation, particularly in the palm oil sector.

SIPEF’s commitment to conserving HCV and HCS areas ensures that these irreplaceable ecosystems remain intact, support biodiversity, sequester carbon, and support communities.

Integrated landscape management programmes

SIPEF has a strong track record of designing and implementing ambitious biodiversity and landscape initiatives near our operations in Indonesia. These programmes combine conservation, forest restoration, and sustainable livelihoods to protect high-value ecosystems while supporting community wellbeing and climate resilience.

A Sumatran tiger

SIPEF Biodiversity Indonesia (SBI)

As of 2024, SBI has restored 286 hectares of degraded land and supported 376 smallholder farmers through agroforestry programmes. Since 2016, over 91,000 native trees have been planted, and camera traps have recorded rare wildlife including clouded leopards, Malayan sun bears, and the critically endangered Sumatran tiger.

Tiger monitoring is carried out in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and local NGO SINTAS. ZSL has profiled the SBI project as an example of how companies can support conservation in tropical agriculture and forestry.

SIPEF has set a target to restore 1,123 hectares of degraded land within SBI by 2033, reaffirming our long-term commitment to conservation and community-led landscape management.

A sea turtle—hatched at the turtle conservation facility—is released

Sea turtle conservation project

Operating since 2007 along a five kilometre stretch of beach in Sumatra, this community-led initiative protects nesting sea turtles by collecting eggs, incubating them in controlled facilities and releasing hatchlings safely into the ocean. The project is jointly managed by the SIPEF Foundation and local communities, in collaboration with the Bengkulu forestry department.

New Britain Sustainable Landscapes Initiative (NBSLI)

Building on our experience in Indonesia, SIPEF is planning to pilot a new initiative in Papua New Guinea, the New Britain Sustainable Landscapes Initiative (NBSLI). The initiative will aim to integrate forest conservation, sustainable land use, and inclusive development at a landscape scale.