Unilever’s skincare brand Dove has teamed up with the Singapore-based Rimba Collective to protect rainforests across Southeast Asia over the next five years.
Through Unilever’s $1-billion Climate & Nature Fund, Dove will contribute to the Rimba Collective’s protection of 123,000 acres (50,000 ha) of rainforest – eight times the size of Manhattan – in Southeast Asia, the company announced this week, without disclosing the size of its investment.
“As a global brand used by millions, our scale demands that we act urgently to protect nature – and play a critical role in the effort to stop climate change,” said Firdaous El Honsali, global vice president of external communications and sustainability at Dove.
“If we don’t keep pushing for change, we will continue to see behaviour that drives deforestation, damages the land and soil we depend on, releases harmful carbon into our atmosphere, and pollutes the waterways that give us life. We need meaningful, decisive action to restore nature’s real beauty.”
The Rimba Collective was founded by investor Lestari Capital as a long-term collaboration between consumer goods manufacturers, processors, traders, and growers in the agricultural commodities industry.
Nestle, Procter and Gamble, Unilever, and PepsiCo have all partnered with the collective to deliver large-scale conservation and restoration over the long term, and Rimba is open to others joining to help it surpass its initial target of 500,000 hectares.
It has partnered with NGOs, governments, and conservation groups to deliver positive ecosystem outcomes at scale over the next 30 years, according to its website.
Its initial projects are located in Indonesia and Malaysia, though it plans to expand across the Southeast Asian region as well as into Papua New Guinea.
“We are delighted to be collaborating with Dove on projects designed to create long-term positive impact for biodiversity, communities, and the climate in Southeast Asia – areas we are deeply passionate about,” said Michal Zrust, CEO of investor Lestari Capital.
“Dove has made it clear that nature is at the heart of its business strategy. This is essential for changing the trajectory of the planet for the next generation, and I look forward to continuing our shared commitment to conservation long into the future.”
news@carbon-pulse.com
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