Total and Forêt Ressources Management to Plant a 40,000-Hectare Forest in the Republic of the Congo
16 March 2021 - 6:51PM
Dow Jones News
Regulatory News:
Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT) and Forêt Ressources
Management have signed a partnership agreement with the Republic of
the Congo to plant a 40,000-hectare forest on the Batéké
Plateaux.
The new forest will create a carbon sink that will sequester
more than 10 million tons of CO(2) over 20 years, to be certified
in accordance with the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate,
Community & Biodiversity (CCB) standards. The project, financed
by Total, includes agroforestry cultures developed with the local
communities for agricultural production and sustainable wood
energy. By 2040, responsible management through selective cutting
will promote the natural regeneration of local species and provide
Brazzaville and Kinshasa with lumber and plywood.
"With this project on the Batéké Plateaux, Total is committing
to the development of natural carbon sinks in Africa. These
activities build on the priority initiatives taken by the Group to
avoid and reduce emissions, in line with its ambition to get to net
zero by 2050. They will also help to showcase the Congo's natural
potential and to extend our long-term partnership with the country,
where we have been present for fifty years, " said Nicolas Terraz,
Senior Vice President Africa, Exploration & Production at
Total.
"We want to develop these projects with recognized partners,
such as FRM, who have a great deal to teach us, while concerting
with relevant regions to anchor our commitment in the long term and
contribute to local development," added Adrien Henry, Vice
President Nature Based Solutions at Total.
The project is designed to produce multiple social, economic and
environmental benefits. The planting of Acacia mangium and
auriculiformis trees on sandy plateaux exposed to recurring
bushfires will create a forest environment that will ultimately
help broaden the ecosystems' biodiversity. The project will create
employment opportunities, with a positive impact on several
thousand people. In addition, a local development fund will support
health, nutritional and educational initiatives to benefit
neighboring villages.
"The more than 10 million hectares of land reserves on the
Congo's Batéké Plateaux offer a fantastic way to combat climate
change at the global level and a unique opportunity for sustainable
socio-economic development in isolated regions of the country,"
noted Bernard Cassagne, Chairman and CEO of Forêt Ressources
Management.
"This ambitious and exemplary project is part of PRONAR, the
national afforestation/reforestation program launched in 2011 to
expand the country's forest cover and increase carbon storage
capacity, create new wood-based businesses to diversify the
national economy, and foster the emergence of a green economy in
the Republic of the Congo," concluded Rosalie Matondo, Minister of
the Forest Economy of the Republic of the Congo.
About Forêt Ressources Management
The Forêt Ressources Management Group (FRM) is a major player in
the wood, forestry and agroforestry plantation sector in Africa.
FRM has more than 30 years of experience in forestry, tropical
forests and consulting services for the wood industry. The CEO and
his team of engineers have forged strong ties with forestry
companies, the forest products and wood industries, local
authorities, civil society and international lenders in numerous
countries with major forestry challenges to manage existing
resources or develop new resources through tree-planting
programs.
About Total Nature Based Solutions
In line with its ambition to get to net zero emissions by 2050
and alongside its initiatives to avoid and reduce emissions, Total
announced the creation of its new Nature Based Solutions (NBS) unit
in June 2019 to develop natural carbon sinks to sequester the
remaining tons of CO(2) from its operations. Backed by an annual
budget of $100 million, Total's objective is to participate in the
development of sustainable sequestration capacity of at least 5
million tons of CO(2) per year from 2030, while contributing to the
preservation of biodiversity, and the sustainable development of
local communities.
About Total
Total is a broad energy company that produces and markets fuels,
natural gas and electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to
better energy that is more affordable, more reliable, cleaner and
accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130
countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy
major.
Present in the Republic of Congo for more than 50 years, Total
is the country's leading energy producer and distributor.
* * *
Cautionary Note
This press release, from which no legal consequences may be
drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which
TOTAL SE directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal
entities. TOTAL SE has no liability for their acts or omissions. In
this document, the terms "Total", "Total Group" and Group are
sometimes used for convenience. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and
"our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to
those who work for them. This document may contain forward-looking
information and statements that are based on a number of economic
data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and
regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the
future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TOTAL
SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update
publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives
or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
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CONTACT: Total
Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@total.com l
@TotalPress
Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962 l ir@total.com
SOURCE: Total
Copyright Business Wire 2021
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 16, 2021 03:36 ET (07:36 GMT)
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