Mighty Earth is launching a campaign, calling on Scotland’s First Minister to use her relationship with a Chinese state-owned company, SDIC (State Development and Investment Corporation) and its Scottish subsidiary, Red Rock Power, to save the world’s most endangered ape, the Tapanuli orangutan.
The campaign launch and petition come as Scotland plays a sub-national role in the global biodiversity conference, COP 15, hosted by China and taking place in Montreal. With a million species at risk of extinction, the aim is to strengthen plans to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030.
Amanda Hurowitz, Senior Director, Asia at Mighty Earth said:
“’It’s clear Scotland’s First Minister cares deeply about protecting wildlife both at home and overseas to send an MSP to Montreal. Now, she needs to take the lead on saving the world's rarest ape, the Tapanuli Orangutan. She brought Red Rock Power and SDIC to Scotland and must be aware of the damage the Batang Toru dam is doing to Tapanuli habitat: It’s slicing through the middle of their forest home in Sumatra, dividing populations and heightening the risk of extinction. With China as host of the biodiversity COP, the time is now for the First Minister to use her influence and intervene to stop the dam. Does she want her administration to be forever linked to a project that wiped a great ape species, some of our closest relations, off the face of the Earth?”