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ESG Case Study
For Peat’s Sake – Project
157,000 hectares of land created and maintained as a home for the endangered animals and the local communities.
This project is part of the Shearwater Group Zero Carbon Initiative – read more about it here.
About the project
The Katingan Project reduced over 7.5 mm tonnes of CO₂ each year by protecting and restoring 157,000 hectares of the peat swamp ecosystem, one of the largest remaining of its kind.
Preservation of the peat swamp stabilizes water flows, prevents devastating peat fires, enriches soil nutrients, and provides clean water. More than 90% of the carbon is sequestered in the underlying peat soils, which are up to 13m deep. It also preserves the habitat for the endangered Bornean Orangutan (*Pongo pygmaeus*) and Proboscis Monkey (*Nasalis larvatus*).
These ecosystems are under threat from palm oil production, conversion to industrial acacia for paper production, and from hunting of threatened animal species. Palm oil monoculture soaks up large amounts of water. Acacia logging, often illegal, accounts for large-scale deforestation and releases CO₂. Both activities often require draining and burning of the underlying peat, further damaging the ecosystem.
Why we choose this project?
Peatlands can be twice as effective as reforestation when it comes to drawing CO₂ from the atmosphere. They are also hotspots for local biodiversity and a source of food and shelter for animals. This project is verified and certified “Gold Level for Climate, Community, and Biodiversity.”
Photos from the project
