Biodiversity and landscape initiatives

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

Our commitments are articulated in our Environmental and Biodiversity Policy, Responsible Plantations Policy, and Responsible Purchasing Policy, which establish clear requirements for responsible land management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable sourcing throughout our supply chain. These policies are further reinforced through compliance with the principles and criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), including the implementation of social and environmental management plans derived from independent, peer-reviewed social impact assessments, as well as High Conservation Value (HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments. This ensures that ecological and cultural landscapes are identified, protected, and monitored. SIPEF’s biodiversity approach is built around two strategic pillars:

1. conserving high-value ecosystems through our no deforestation, no new development on peat, and no exploitation (NDPE) commitments, and by protecting and monitoring designated set-aside areas

2. 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 significant biological, ecological, social, or cultural values. They are identified and managed to maintain or enhance biodiversity, ecosystem services, and sites of importance to local communities, in line with RSPO and high conservation value network (HCVN) guidance.

HCS forests are tropical forests recognised for their role in carbon storage, biodiversity, and community use. The High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA) 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 helps ensure these irreplaceable ecosystems remain intact, enabling them to sustain biodiversity, sequester carbon, and support communities.

Integrated landscape management programmes

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

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 aims to protect forest habitat around a lake within a volcanic caldera at the edge of SIPEF’s production landscape, integrating forest conservation, sustainable land use, and inclusive development at a landscape scale.

Situated within the New Guinea biodiversity hotspot, the area is one of the richest yet least-studied regions on Earth and holds deep cultural significance for surrounding communities.