REG-TOTAL Total and Forêt Ressources Management to Plant a 40,000-Hectare Forest in the Republic of the Congo

TotalEnergies SEAnnouncement

16/03/2021 07:25

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Total and Forêt Ressources Management to Plant a 40,000-Hectare Forest in the
Republic of the Congo

 

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.

Total 

Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@total.com
(mailto:presse@total.com) l @TotalPress

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