SINGAPORE –
Media OutReach Newswire – 10 October 2025 –
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and APRIL Group, a member of
the RGE group of companies, today announced a five-year strategic collaboration aimed at strengthening conservation
science and applying evidence-based solutions to improving
biodiversity outcomes in
Indonesia and around
the world.
The collaboration brings together IUCN’s global scientific expertise and APRIL’s operational reach in
Indonesia to generate robust conservation
science, expand
the use of conservation tools in APRIL’s conservation and restoration landscapes, and build capacity that supports national and international
biodiversity goals.
A key focus of
the collaboration is
the expansion of IUCN’s
Red List of Ecosystems (RLE), one of
the world’s most important indicators of ecosystem health under
the Global
Biodiversity Framework. This will contribute to a
Global RLE Peatlands Assessment, aiming to provide stronger evidence to guide
the conservation of this critical ecosystem and important global carbon sink.
The collaboration will also pilot
the IUCN RHINO approach for
Rapid, High-Integrity Nature-positive Outcomes within APRIL’s operations, including its 150,693-hectare Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) forest conservation and restoration programme, located on Sumatra’s Kampar Peninsula.
The collaboration will evaluate and provide strategic guidance on ways to further enhance APRIL’s
biodiversity conservation and restoration programmes, while generating practical lessons for
the wider forestry and land-use sector on how they can measure, improve, and share progress on
biodiversity outcomes.
“The world is running out of time to reverse biodiversity loss, and science must guide every step we take,” said
Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General. “This collaboration with APRIL allows us to scale up the Red List of Ecosystems and test new approaches like IUCN RHINO in real-world scenarios. By combining IUCN’s science with APRIL’s operational reach in Indonesia, we can turn data into action and create a sustainable model for how business and conservation can work together to meet global biodiversity targets.”
The collaboration further provides a unique opportunity for IUCN to strengthen its work with its Indonesian members and conservation actors, catalyzing on-the-ground action at scale. As part of
the collaboration, IUCN will deepen engagement with a range of stakeholders in
Indonesia, contributing to
the advancement of national efforts to conserve and restore
biodiversity with strong integration of
the perspectives of communities and experts in
Indonesia.
Anderson Tanoto, Managing Director at RGE and member of the Executive Committee at APRIL said: “For us, conservation is about taking practical action.
Businesses today are expected to move beyond pledges and deliver results that are credible, practical and measurable on
the ground. Our collaboration with IUCN strengthens APRIL’s science-based approach to landscape management and accelerates delivery of our APRIL2030 commitments. By combining global
science with
local action, this partnership enhances our conservation and restoration programmes and engages a wider network of experts and stakeholders to achieve meaningful
biodiversity outcomes.”
The IUCN–APRIL collaboration supports
the delivery of
the Global Biodiversity Framework, demonstrating how private sector engagement can align with international conservation priorities.
Hashtag: #RGE #APRIL #APRIL2030 #IUCN #Biodiversity #Conservation #RLE #Peatlands #Nature #RER #Sumatra #Indonesia #Sustainability
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both
government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with
the knowledge and tools that enable human progress,
economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
About APRIL
APRIL Group is a leading producer of fibre products, including pulp, paper, viscose staple fibre, paperboard, and tissue. Based in Indonesia, APRIL operates a large-scale, vertically integrated production operation. This integration is fundamental to our competitive advantage, enabling us to manage resources responsibly through sustainable forest management and resource-efficient production practices. Our commitment to a positive future is encapsulated in our ambitious
APRIL2030 commitments, which drive positive impact across Climate, Nature, and People. This includes significant conservation and restoration work, notably through the management of our 150,639-hectare
Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) programme.
APRIL actively collaborates with international experts, institutions, and partners to continually enhance our conservation practices and drive sector-wide improvements for sustainable growth.
www.aprilasia.com
