Story

The race to save a vital habitat

mother and baby orangutan

Chubb Charitable Foundation supports Rainforest Trust project to protect the threatened Leuser Ecosystem in Indonesia.

The sprawling Leuser Ecosystem in Indonesia contains a range of diverse habitats, from coastal peat swamps to high mountain tops. Located on the island of Sumatra, this stunning landscape is the last place on earth where orangutans, elephants and tigers all live together in the wild. But this region faces threats from illegal logging and mining, infrastructure development and the conversion of forest into palm oil plantations. Protecting this habitat is one of the world’s most urgent conservation priorities.

 

Rainforest Trust, a conservation organization that purchases and protects threatened tropical forests, is among the groups stepping in to protect the Leuser Ecosystem. With the help of the Chubb Charitable Foundation, 2,472 acres of vital habitat is on track to be purchased by Rainforest Trust and Forum Konservasi Leuser (FKL), a local conservation group. After the land is bought, it can then be designated by Indonesia as a nationally recognized “Essential Ecosystem Area,” providing additional protection from commercial interests and deforestation.

 

In addition to its native animal population, the Leuser Ecosystem is globally significant as a source of carbon storage. The land to the protected by Rainforest Trust and its partner currently stores nearly 350,000 metric tons of carbon, equal to about 3 billion miles driven by the average passenger vehicle.

 

To date, the Chubb Charitable Foundation has contributed $500,000 to Rainforest Trust’s Conservation Action Fund, which focuses on urgent conservation initiatives to protect critical habitats that would otherwise be used for development, agriculture or natural resource extraction. In addition to the project in Sumatra, the foundation has helped fund the expansion of the Papagaios de Altitude Reserve in the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, one of the world's most threatened biodiversity hotspots.

 

"Sumatra's Leuser Ecosystem is home to many species found nowhere else on the planet, and its forests and peat swamps are a significant ‘carbon sink,’" said Lori Dunstan, Vice President, Global Corporate Giving at Chubb. "Our support for Rainforest Trust’s Conservation Action Fund reflets our commitment to be a responsible steward of the earth, promote the resilience of communities and protect biodiversity against the effects of climate change.”

Stories

Discover our latest news, insights, stories and profiles.
chubb 2024 climate related financial disclosure cover
Environment
Chubb 2024 Climate–Related Financial Disclosure
Chubb is committed to communicating its climate-related initiatives based on the TCFD reporting framework. Download the 2024 report to find out more.
field of windmills
Environment
Renewable electricity helping Chubb reduce its environmental footprint
Chubb joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership to help reduce its environmental footprint.
EV charging
Environment
Deepening and deploying risk expertise on the road to net zero
Climate change and the transition toward net zero poses a new suite of challenges and opportunities for companies.
offshore turbines
Environment
Meshed Offshore Grids Are Key to Our Clean Energy Future
The rapid shift to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, demands innovative solutions. Meshed offshore grids, powered by HVDC technology, can revolutionize energy transmission, bolster grid resilience, and pave the way for a sustainable future.
climate related financial disclosure report
Environment
Chubb 2023 Climate–Related Financial Disclosure
Chubb is committed to communicating its climate-related initiatives based on the TCFD reporting framework. Download the 2023 report to find out more.
WHSA wetland
Environment
Taking the LEED in green buildings
Chubb office buildings are recognized for leadership in environmental sustainability.
many trees planted
Environment
Seeds of change: Helping forests take root
Partnering with American Forests, we plant a tree for every new environmental policy written to support reforestation efforts.
climate change presentation
Environment
Demystifying climate tech
Our team of specialty climate tech underwriters is developing underwriting products, tools, and resources to help companies get the right insurance.