The Malua BioBank, located in the Malua Forest Reserve in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, is the first commercial biodiversity project in the world for tropical rainforest conservation.

The Malua BioBank is a first-of-its kind commercial model for investing in tropical rainforest conservation. The Malua BioBank is a 34,000 hectare (roughly 80,000 acre) area called the Malua Forest Reserve in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo.

The Malua BioBank will sell Biodiversity Conservation Certificates (BCC), with each certificate representing 100-square meters of rainforest restoration and protection. A portion of the revenues generated from the sale of BCCs will be used to endow a trust fund, the Malua Trust, which will manage the long-term rehabilitation and conservation of the Malua Forest Reserve.

Download Malua Wildlife Habitat Conservation Bank leaflet
(PDF format 369 KB)

The Commitment

The Sabah Government has committed to halting logging in the Malua Forest Reserve for at least the next 50 years. This contractual agreement commits the Sabah Government to the implementation of a Conservation Management Plan monitored by the Malua Trust and funded through a portion of the revenues from BCC sales. Any breach of the Malua BioBank agreement by the Sabah Government entails significant financial penalties, including the repayment of all funds invested in conservation management as well as the refund of the total value of any BCCs sold.

The Conservation Management Plan

Progress towards key management goals and priority actions outlined in a Conservation Management Plan will be reviewed annually by a Steering Committee (composed of members of the Sabah Government and the Malua BioBank) and by an Advisory Committee (composed of local and international NGOs and scientists).

The Asset

The BCCs are issued to the Malua BioBank and housed in the Markit Environmental Registry for Biodiversity Registry. BCC do not represent an offset against the clearing or degradation of other forests. They are a contribution to the rehabilitation of the Malua Forest Reserve, which would not otherwise have occurred.

The Role of the Markit Environmental Registry for Biodiversity

In relation to the Malua BioBank, Markit Environmental Registry for Biodiversity is committed to:

• providing security and rigour to the Biodiversity Conservation Certificates issued for the rehabilitation and protection of the Malua Forest Reserve by the Malua BioBank.
• contributing to making the restoration and conservation of the Malua Forest Reserve sustainable and commercially viable, so that the Malua Forest Reserve may recover its natural character, enjoy reduced risk of destruction from wildfire and invasive species, deliver social and environmental benefits to the community and enable the creation of new initiatives.