- Investment in the Rimba Raya project in tropical jungle on Borneo (Indonesia) is Allianz’s third climate investment in emerging markets
- Rimba Raya protects the climate and biodiversity: prevention of deforestation caused by the palm oil industry and protection for orangutans
- Allianz ensures climate-neutral status with Rimba Raya CO2 certificates
Allianz’s investment will help to prevent the threat of deforestation and, as a result, the emission of 90 million tons of CO2 over a 30-year period. The project will provide Allianz with certificates that it can use to offset its own emissions, meaning that the investment is to Allianz’s advantage. Allianz has been operating on a 100 percent climate-neutral basis since 2012 thanks to a combination of moves to reduce its own emissions and certificates like these.
“For investors like Allianz, carbon markets make it possible to finance climate protection by channeling capital to projects like Rimba Raya in developing and emerging economies,” said Rod MacDonald, who is responsible for this investment at Allianz Global Investors,” Now we expect the international community to develop the necessary framework for an extensive implementation of REDD.”
Back in 2011, Allianz became involved in a forest protection project in Kenya, the first project in the world to be given REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) status. REDD projects involve the local population and ensure that any financial income is used locally, for example to build schools or finance vocational training for the local people.
This was followed, in 2012, by the investment in a project in India to replace conventional light bulbs in private households with energy-saving equivalents. Rimba Raya is the world’s first REDD project to bear the triple CCB Gold Label (Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance) and the first that can generate certificates in line with the market-leading VCS (Voluntary Carbon Standard).
In addition to these projects, Allianz ranks among the leading investors in renewable energies, with 39 European wind farms and seven solar parks (930 MW, 1.7 billion euros).
Forest protection is an efficient form of climate protection and is consistent with Allianz’s climate strategy
Investments in forest protection are consistent with Allianz’s climate and investment strategy because they generate long-term, stable returns. At the same time, they provide effective protection for both the climate and biodiversity. Tropical forests cover around 15 percent of the Earth’s surface and store approximately 25 percent of the CO2 captured in the Earth’s biosphere. Measures to preserve them have a direct impact on the global carbon footprint. They are also of key importance for water management, meaning that they have a two-fold cooling effect.
Indonesia has been hit particularly hard by the expansion of the palm oil industry. According to the United Nations, 98 percent of the country’s forests are at risk of falling victim to deforestation and slash-and-burn by 2022. Rimba Raya shows that there are cost-effective alternatives: “Rimba Raya paid exactly the same rates that palm oil or timber concessionaires would have paid, and it promises to deliver community development programs unmatched by the broken promises of palm oil. Lastly, the national park and the endangered orangutan have been spared the relentless pressures of palm oil expansion under which they both have suffered for decades,” says Todd Lemons, CEO of the project development firm Infinite Earth.
Climate protection important in growth markets
For Karsten Löffler, managing director of Allianz Climate Solutions, the corporate sector has a responsibility to address environmental problems in up-and-coming economies, too: “Asia is a growth market for Allianz. Global climate protection would have no chance of success if it were to leave these growth markets out of the equation. Rimba Raya will also raise awareness of how to deal with resources in a responsible manner and will help to preserve the habitat of the local population.”
The climate protection project will not only create jobs, but will also allow Allianz to make a contribution to raising awareness and will allow the expansion of a protected area for regional flora and fauna. This, in turn, will promote the quality of life of local communities, who rely on access to clean water and hunting. “It is often precisely the local population that benefits the least from the economic (ab)use of tropical forests. This project, on the other hand, will protect 14 communities with around 2,000 inhabitants who were at risk of being resettled due to deforestation for palm oil,” says Löffler.
Palm oil sector has to become more sustainable
The palm oil sector is a major branch of Asia’s economy. Palm oil is a key component of foodstuffs consumed by large parts of the world’s population, particularly in developing countries. Palm oil production is, however, resulting in large-scale deforestation and slash-and-burn. This makes the sector a particularly sensitive one for Allianz from a sustainability perspective. As part of its membership of the UN PRI (United Nations Principles for Responsible Investments), Allianz is committed, in its capacity as an investor, to more transparency in the palm oil sector and supports the development of a sustainable palm oil industry.
