Preserving Nature Through Our Commitment to Biodiversity Within Our Landscapes

The enhancement of biodiversity and natural ecosystem are important to IOI. In 2023, IOI had revised its Biodiversity and Conservation Guideline to include ecosystem enhancement. The new guideline, known as the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Enhancement Guidelines, provides guidance for the protection, conservation and enrichment of biodiversity and natural ecosystem in our operating sites. The guideline is in alignment with HCV-HCS assessment manual, RSPO Principle 7 & MSPO Principle 5 as well as the recommendations from SBTN draft guidance, which comprised of four key steps as follows:

Step 1: Identification of Biodiversity & Conservation Value Areas

Step 2: Execution & Management

Step 3: Threat monitoring & Crisis Management

Step 4: Impact Evaluation, Mitigation, Protection & Enhancement

IOI Biodiversity and Ecosystem Enhancement Guidelines
We aim to conserve the biodiversity and ecology in and around our estates with the following practices:

Planting legume cover crops as a soil conservation measure to prevent run-off into waterways.

Conserving natural landscapes, flora and fauna species in high conservation value (HCV) areas, buffer zones and other set-aside conservation areas.

Conserving water channels, streams, ponds, and undisturbed natural riparian reserve in tandem with the overall flood mitigation plan;

Linking riparian and other reserve areas within the estates and surrounding neighbourhoods to develop wildlife corridors.

Specific biodiversity and wildlife conservation initiatives undertaken include:
  • Taking part in the Achieving Coexistence with Elephants (ACE) Project, a multistakeholder collaboration with MEME and other plantation companies to manage and reduce human-elephant conflicts.
  • Ongoing collaboration with Sabah Wildlife Department, HUTAN and Seratu Aatai to protect RTE species. IOI is also maintaining camera traps installed with HUTAN for wildlife reserach and species monitoring.
  • Ongoing collaboration with Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam for orangutan conservation through activities that include relocation of orangutans to their habitats, continuous species monitoring and capacity building for staff members to handle human wildlife conflict.