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ID

Indonesia

47,237 ha

Central Kalimantan Peatlands

Avoided Unplanned Deforestation

From a planned palm oil plantation to an Orangutan refuge in the carbon-rich peat swamps of Borneo

Overview

Central Kalimantan Peatlands

ID

Indonesia

47,237 ha

Developer: InfiniteEARTH

Avoided Unplanned Deforestation

The Provincial government planned to convert the Central Kalimantan Peatlands, which can store 20x more carbon than typical forests, into palm oil estates. This project protects these natural carbon sinks that would have otherwise been drained and logged and creates a physical buffer along the world-renowned Tanjung Puting National Park’s eastern border offering sanctuary to countless plant and animal species. Beyond its carbon benefits, this project also devotes enormous effort to impactful livelihood programs in surrounding villages, addressing all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Registry

Verra Logo

Registry ID: 674

Certifications

Certification - Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard Logo
Certification - Climate Community and Biodiversity Standards Logo

Methodology

VM0004v1.0

Pachama's project evaluation criteriaPachama rigorously evaluates every project listed on our marketplace to ensure that we're surfacing only the highest quality projects. Our Evaluation Criteria includes a series of checks that every project must pass as well as a number of informative insights on project quality. You can see a preview of these checks below.

01

Additional

Does the project have a net additional climate benefit?

  • Net additional climate benefit

    Emissions reductions are calculated based on the difference between baseline, project, and leakage emissions. Pachama analyzes emissions claims to confirm that the project has a net additional climate benefit, and each credit represents at least one metric ton of carbon.

02

Conservative

Is the climate benefit based on sound and conservative claims?

  • Baseline claims

    Pachama analyzes baseline emissions accounting to confirm that the reported baseline emissions are less than what Pachama observes with remote sensing.

  • Project claims

    Pachama assesses the project boundary, project emissions accounting, carbon inventory, and financial and legal additionality.

  • Leakage claims

    Pachama summarizes the project's reported leakage emissions accounting.

03

Durable

Is the climate benefit long-lasting?

  • Ongoing monitoring

    Pachama quantifies emissions since the last verification to ensure the project continues to deliver a climate benefit.

  • Project risks

    Pachama characterizes fire and other natural risks and summarizes buffer pool contributions.

04

Beyond Carbon

Does the project deliver benefits beyond carbon?

  • Social impacts

    If a project occurs on community-owned land, Pachama confirms the community is fully informed of the project activity and impact, consent is given without coercion, and a grievance and redress mechanism is in place.

  • Ecological impacts

    For ARR projects, Pachama analyzes native species planting, species diversity, regional suitability, and reforestation practices.

  • Certifications

    Pachama provides a summary of the project's awarded certifications.

1/4

Tech-verified evaluationEvery forest project listed on the Pachama Marketplace must align with our Evaluation Criteria to ensure we're surfacing only the highest quality projects. To assess a forest project, Pachama uses remote sensing to review a variety of factors including forest cover loss in and around the project area. This project passes our emissions quality checks because the reported emissions are in line with what Pachama observed.

Contains modified data from Hansen Global Forest Change v1.9 (2001-2021).

Visual Description

The figure above shows the project area outlined in white, and observed forest loss in red. The project has been active since 2009. Pachama analyzes forest loss data and removes false positives during our project evaluation process. Fire is one of the risks associated with forest carbon projects. While this particular project did experience some historical fire events, Pachama’s quality checks confirm the project has properly accounted for all emissions and continues to secure net climate benefits compared with the baseline scenario. Additionally, the project has invested in fire prevention efforts and in firefighting efforts.

Project story
Using carbon revenues to build an alternative to forest conversion

Indonesia is losing over 2.5M hectares of forest cover annually often due to clearing for agricultural use. This is an area roughly equivalent to the size of Belgium. In the absence of this project, palm oil companies would convert the area and, consequently, 14 local forest communities along the eastern edge of the reserve would face the threat of losing their land.

The project recognizes that local community involvement is necessary to launch and sustain a new mechanism for valuing forests, so local communities have been integral to the planning and development of various initiatives.

This project ultimately aims to use carbon credit revenues for project area protection, local community development, and provincial government infrastructure to build a viable alternative to forest conversion.

Aerial view of the Central Kalimantan Peatlands forest.

Aerial view of the Central Kalimantan Peatlands forest.

Impacts beyond carbon

Demonstrating excellent contributions to all 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals

The Central Kalimantan Peatlands Project funnels substantial and sustainable financial resources for project area protection, local community development, and provincial government infrastructure. The villages along the project's borders have been participating in and will continue to be integral to the planning and development of project activities. In September 2020, Central Kalimantan Peatlands became the first REDD+ project in the world to be audited for UN Sustainable Development Goal compliance under the SD Vista Standard and achieved the highest possible rating of contributing to all 17 UN SDGs.
Good health and well-being image

03

Good health and well-being

Implementing a floating medical clinic to reach remote villages by boat and provide necessary health services to those with limited access (316 patients given medical care during a trial run).

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Quality Education image

04

Quality Education

Educating over 10,908 people on topics including hydroponic and polybag agriculture, operating camera traps, fire response, water hydrant and well development, and scholarship selection processes.

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Clean water and sanitation image

06

Clean water and sanitation

Distributing 300 new water filter units among villages, and piloting a water purifying system in Baung Barat which can provide 2,000 liters of clean water in 4-5hrs.

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Affordable and clean energy image

07

Affordable and clean energy

57 houses and some public facilities, including roads, were provided illumination by the installation of one solar power plant of 12KWH per day in Ulak Batu village in 2018. Two more solar power plants and electrification systems are under development in other communities.

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Decent work and economic growth image

08

Decent work and economic growth

Employing 71 community members, including 21 women, with a continued focus on developing and promoting alternative livelihoods directly related to the project.

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biodiversity
More than half of all mammals in Borneo live in this project area

This project expands the contiguous habitat of the neighboring national park eastward to the Seruyan River, which local communities rely heavily on for drinking, transportation, and fish stocks. This land preservation provides countless flora and fauna with a natural, undisturbed habitat where they can thrive. Central Kalimantan Peatlands protects the populations of five critically endangered, 12 endangered, and 37 vulnerable species (including 5% of the world’s total population of Orangutans). Other mammals in the area include the Asian Sun Bear, Sunda Pangolin, Clouded Leopard, Proboscis Monkey, Hairy-Nosed Otter and many species of bats.

biodiversity image
  • 37

    Vulnerable species

  • 122

    Mammals

  • 180

    Tree & plant species

Peatlands image
tree spotlight
Peatlands

Among the largest near-surface reserves of terrestrial organic carbon, peatlands are made up of organic matter from partially decomposed remains of trees that accumulate to a thickness of 10m+. These forests are also home to a wide range of plant and animal life.

how this project helps

Regular daily patrols cover large expanses of this remote peat swamp on foot and by motorized canoe to prevent illegal activity and conduct a range of biological, resource and social surveys. Working together with project communities has strengthened local ties and support for the project.

Bornean Orangutan image
animal spotlight
Bornean Orangutan

The only great ape outside of Africa, whose populations have declined 95% in the last century, is critically endangered due to human activities. Tanjung Puting National Park (adjacent to the project area) houses one of the largest protected populations.

how this project helps

Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) collaborates with the project on the implementation of forest monitoring, reporting and protection activities on the ground.

project files

  • Verification Report 2010-2012

    pdf

  • Verification Report 2009

    pdf

  • Project Description

    pdf

  • Verification Report 2015-2019

    pdf

  • Verification Report 2013-2014

    pdf

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