The partnership between the BMW Group and Pirelli in support of Indonesia’s Hutan Harapan forest is part of a joint pathway to sustainable natural rubber.
Pirelli and BMW to Protect Biodiversity and Local Community in Hutan Harapan
Pirelli and the BMW Group are joining with BirdLife International in a three-year project that aims to favor the long-term production of sustainable and deforestation-free natural rubber in Indonesia.
BirdLife International – an NGO that conserves global biodiversity, habitats and birds – will be supported by its two new partners in actions to benefit local communities, the conservation of the natural ecosystem and protection of endangered animal species in the forests of Indonesia. In Indonesia, the project is implemented by a number of non-governmental organisations coordinated by the local consortium PT Restorasi Ekosistem Indonesia (PT Reki). In Indonesia, the cultivation of natural rubber is one of the traditional sources of income for the local population.
The project is located in part of the Hutan Harapan rainforest (island of Sumatra), which is home to around 1,350 different animal species. It will take the form of a series of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of the indigenous community by protecting farmers’ land rights and promoting women’s rights, conserving a deforestation-free area of 2,700 hectares and protecting several endangered species. The different activities will be implemented in line with the goals of the Global Platform of Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), the multi-stakeholder platform for the sustainable development of the natural rubber business, of which Pirelli, BMW Group and BirdLife International are founder members.
The partnership between Pirelli and the BMW Group in support of Indonesia’s Hutan Harapan forest is part of a joint pathway to sustainable natural rubber. In this context, Pirelli developed and produced the first tyre in the world, a Pirelli P Zero, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), fitted on the new BMW X5 Plug-in-Hybrid, in turn the first car in the world equipped with tyres with this certification.
