For Ettol Kumpilon, the switch from growing rice to oil palm on his small family farm in Malaysia's eastern state of Sabah has enabled him to renovate his home, send his eldest child to school and build up a healthy pot of savings.

But with climate change fueling rising temperatures that are hurting his yields, the 40-year-old has joined an innovative scheme that aims to raise sustainability standards among all palm oil producers across the state on Borneo island.

Its goals are to protect wildlife and forests, tackle land disputes and worker abuses, improve harvests and open the door to premium-paying palm oil buyers from around the world.