Peat, Mangroves, and Partnership: Carbon Tide Meets with Meranti Regent

Mr. Asmar, the Meranti Regent gave his perspective regarding RCPM project

Selat Panjang, June 5, 2025 — In line with its mission to advance high-integrity carbon solutions, Carbon Tide held an official meeting with AKBP (Purn) H. Asmar, Regent of Kepulauan Meranti, to present the Riau Community Peatland and Mangrove (RCPM) Project.

The meeting took place at the Regent’s Office in Selat Panjang Timur, Tebing Tinggi, and was focused on strategic collaboration around carbon restoration initiatives in the region. The Regent formally acknowledged the project and expressed strong support for its environmental and economic goals.

Informal dialogue between Carbon Tide and the Staff Regent of Kepulauan Meranti, discussing the RCPM Project.

Carbon Tide was represented by Ron Salzberg, Chief Investment Officer, and Tantra Wardhana, Carbon Origination Lead. Also present were Adrian and Andi, Carbon Tide’s regional representatives. The regent welcomed the team alongside members of the local administration.

The discussion centered on land governance, inter-institutional collaboration, and the shared vision for ecological restoration. The regent emphasized the importance of coordination between Carbon Tide, village leaders, and district institutions to ensure sustainable, community-driven restoration.

Official meeting at the Regent’s Office in Selat Panjang Timur, where Ron Salzberg, Chief Investment & Operations Officer, presented the scope and impact of the 25,000-hectare RCPM Project.

During the meeting, Carbon Tide introduced its regional representatives, Adrian and Andi, and affirmed their commitment to transparency, local engagement, and environmental integrity. The regent welcomed the proposal for ongoing village-level socializations and reiterated his administration’s support in facilitating project rollout.

About the RCPM Project

Spanning over 25,000 hectares, the RCPM Project is designed to restore critical peatland and mangrove ecosystems while generating high-integrity carbon credits. Through the Carbon Tide partnership with Meranti Regent, the project is aligned with VERRA and CORSIA methodologies (VM0033 & VM007) and complies with Indonesia’s Social Forestry framework.

Project Areas:

Tembilahan (Mangrove) – 3,080 ha

Meranti (Peatland) – 8,678 ha

Sungai Linau (Peatland) – 5,863 ha

Teluk Lanus (Peatland) – 3,478 ha

Among these, Meranti holds the largest area and highest carbon credit potential—making it a key pillar in the RCPM strategy.

Addressing Urgent Degradation

Peatland and mangrove degradation is a pressing issue across Indragiri Hilir, Meranti, Bengkalis, and Siak. In Indragiri Hilir alone, over 66,000 hectares of mangroves are degraded due to unregulated logging and land-use changes.

The RCPM initiative seeks to reverse this trend through ethical, science-based restoration, combined with local empowerment and benefit-sharing models.

Moving Toward Verified Impact in Carbon Tide partnership with Meranti Regent

With legal access, LPHD (Community Forest Management Group) agreements, and strong community backing secured, the project has now entered its Project Design Document (PDD) development phase. This is a key step toward generating verified carbon credits and long-term environmental and social impact.

A Shared Commitment

Regent H. Asmar and Carbon Tide’s Chief Investment & Operations Officer, Ron Salzberg, during the meeting in Selat Panjang. The Regent gave his full support and blessings for the RCPM Project.

This meeting marks an important milestone in reinforcing government relationships and validating Carbon Tide’s transparent and inclusive project development process. The Regent expressed optimism about the project’s capacity to protect ecosystems while generating tangible benefits for the people of Meranti.

Carbon Tide remains committed to local engagement, regulatory compliance, and building a model for ethical, community-led carbon restoration.

Stay tuned for more on-the-ground updates from the Riau region.