Petronas, Mercedes collab on carbon capture and storage within mangrove ecosystems
Published on: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Published on: Sat, Jun 14, 2025
By: Bernama Text Size: Kuala Lumpur: Petronas and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team will be collaborating to launch the Blue Carbon Collective, a South-South research initiative that aims to advance research and knowledge exchange on carbon capture and storage in mangrove ecosystems. The Collective will build upon the ongoing cooperation between the University of São Paulo (USP) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), fostering collaboration and resource sharing between two countries in the southern hemisphere – Malaysia and Brazil.
Advertisement The announcement took place at the inaugural Energy and Nature Forum, hosted by Petronas in Kuala Lumpur, which aims to put a spotlight on the intersection of energy and nature by bringing together global leaders from both fields. Petronas also unveiled its first ever nature and resource efficiency targets at the Forum which, together with the Blue Carbon Collective, reinforces the company's commitment to use natural resources responsibly and to engage in practices that restore, protect and conserve ecosystems in countries where it operates. The five-year collaboration is expected to generate vital research data to advance carbon emissions reduction strategies, help conserve mangroves, and create local job and business opportunities. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team will support the research activities, reflecting their commitment to raising environmental awareness. 'Together with our partners, we believe that the Blue Carbon Collective is an important research initiative that enables the global community to further unlock the potential of mangroves in mitigating risks of climate change. As Petronas launches its new nature targets, this initiative will also help enhance our collective understanding of efforts related to biodiversity even as we work towards creating a net positive impact in our projects and undertakings,' said Tan Sri Tengku Muhammad Taufik, the President and Group CEO of Petronas during the launch. The Blue Carbon Collective also supports Yayasan Petronas' One Million Trees Programme – an ecosystem restoration and community development initiative that will see 100,000 mangrove trees planted in the Sungai Santi Forest Reserve in Johor, Malaysia, to rehabilitate degraded areas. To date, 20,000 mangrove seedlings have been planted by the local communities. The ongoing cooperation between USP and UPM will support UPM to conduct research in the Sungai Santi Forest Reserve and apply established methodologies from Brazil. These include carbon stock assessment and monitoring of soil quality and ecosystem health in Malaysia, enabling comparative analysis between the two countries. The Blue Carbon Collective aims to deliver several research objectives including identifying the impact of land use changes, understanding carbon stabilisation mechanisms, and developing and applying a soil quality index. The initiative aligns with Petronas' Sustainability Approach, particularly the pillars of Thriving with Nature, which promotes ecosystem restoration and conservation, and Fostering a Just Transition, which supports equitable opportunities for local communities. This initiative also reinforces and strengthens the sustainability intent of the partnership between Petronas and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, not only on the racetrack but also off the track towards achieving our shared net zero ambitions. Petronas also announced its first targets for nature and resource efficiency at the Energy and Nature Forum, marking a landmark moment for the company in streamlining its efforts biodiversity conservation and even more responsible use of natural resources in Malaysia and in communities where Petronas conducts operations. These targets for nature include, no net loss of biodiversity for existing operations and net positive impact on biodiversity for new projects. Petronas will aim to reduce its freshwater withdrawal for its domestic operations at existing water-stressed areas by 14pc by 2030 using 2021 as baseline, and aim to achieve a circularity rate of 82pc for hazardous waste at its domestic operations by 2030. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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