Dove launches project to restore 123,000 acres of rainforests

Image: Rimba Collective

The initiative is part of the Dove Nature Regeneration Project, which is supported by the Unilever Climate & Nature Fund. The €1bn fund contributes to climate, nature, and resource efficiency initiatives.

Through this project, an expanse of forest equivalent to eight times the size of Manhattan will be safeguarded and restored.

Furthermore, the initiative strives to enhance the lives of 8,000 local residents by creating jobs and enhancing access to education, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation, while offering protection to endangered wildlife species such as the Sunda pangolin and the helmeted hornbill.

Dove’s vice president of external communications and sustainability Firdaous El Honsali said: “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 Dove Nature Regeneration Project is just one step we are taking as we strive to care for nature like we care for ourselves. We know our work is not done and we will not stop reducing our impact.”

Dove and the Rimba Collective have pledged to collaborate with NGOs, governments, and conservation experts to achieve a positive impact on natural ecosystems over the next three decades by integrating forest conservation finance directly into supply chains.

The Rimba Collective is an initiative led by the buyers and processors of key natural commodities. It is headquartered in Southeast Asia and its parent company is Lestari Capital.

Lestari Capital’schief executive officer Michal Zrust said: “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.

“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.”

Unilever, the parent company of Dove, has set targets to reach net-zero emissions for products by 2039; to achieve a deforestation-free supply chain in palm oil, paper and board, tea, soy and cocoa by the end of 2023; to protect and regenerate1.5 million hectares of land, forests and oceans by 2030; and to sustainably source 100% of its key agricultural crops, including palm oil.