Singapore, October 11, 2025: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and APRIL Group, a member of the RGE group of companies, have announced a five-year strategic collaboration to advance conservation science and strengthen biodiversity outcomes in Indonesia and globally.
The partnership aims to combine IUCN’s scientific expertise with APRIL’s extensive operational presence in Indonesia to develop evidence-based conservation practices, improve monitoring of ecosystem health, and build capacity to support both national and international biodiversity goals.
A central component of the collaboration is the expansion of IUCN’s Red List of Ecosystems (RLE)—one of the world’s key indicators of ecosystem health under the Global Biodiversity Framework. The work will contribute to a Global RLE Peatlands Assessment, generating stronger data to guide conservation strategies for peatland ecosystems, which serve as vital carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots.
The partnership will also pilot the IUCN RHINO (Rapid, High-Integrity Nature-positive Outcomes) approach within APRIL’s operations, including its 150,693-hectare Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER) forest conservation and restoration programme on Sumatra’s Kampar Peninsula. Through this approach, the collaboration will test practical models for achieving measurable and transparent biodiversity gains in managed landscapes.
The five-year collaboration will evaluate and enhance APRIL’s ongoing conservation and restoration initiatives, while offering lessons for the broader forestry and land-use sectors on applying science-based frameworks to monitor and improve biodiversity performance.
Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Director General, IUCN, said, “The world is running out of time to reverse biodiversity loss, and science must guide every step we take. 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.”
As part of the initiative, IUCN will deepen its engagement with Indonesian conservation stakeholders, fostering on-the-ground collaboration among local communities, experts, and government agencies. The partnership aims to align with Indonesia’s national biodiversity and climate priorities while strengthening local capacity for ecosystem restoration.
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 collaboration supports the objectives of the Global Biodiversity Framework, reinforcing how private-sector engagement can align with global conservation priorities. By advancing ecosystem resilience, community engagement, and scientific knowledge, the IUCN–APRIL partnership represents a significant step toward achieving shared biodiversity and sustainability goals.
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