Indonesiens største papirproducent forpligtede sig mandag til at genoprette store skovarealer på tværs af det asiatiske ørige. Initiativet omfatter øget beskyttelse af skoven og dens beboere samt nye tiltag for borgerinddragelse.
JAKARTA, 28. April 2014, (MONGABAY): Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), Indonesia’s largest pulp and paper company and a long-time target of environmental campaigners, Monday committed to protect and restore a million hectares of forest across Indonesia.
The pledge (løftet), which represents an area equivalent to the total plantation area from which the company sourced pulp in 2013, was immediately welcomed by WWF, which until today has remained one of APP’s staunchest critics.
“We remain cautious of these new developments but we are encouraged with the level of ambition, which is unprecedented,” Aditya (Dido) Bayunanda of WWF-Indonesia told Mongabay.com. “The intention of addressing the past legacy of deforestation of APP something that other former deforesters in the world has yet to attempt.”
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APP’s restoration commitment — announced Monday in Jakarta — represents a major escalation of its forest conservation policy, which was established a year ago February.
The zero deforestation policy includes safeguards that exclude timber sourced via conversion of peatlands and rainforests as well as protections for local communities, including embracing the concept of free, prior informed consent (FPIC) in new plantation development.
APP is also investing heavily in stakeholder engagement, inviting supporters and critics alike to provide feedback and report breaches of its policy.
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WWF’s tacit support of the restoration pledge reveals the extent of this engagement. It was only last month that WWF issued a brief to paper buyers warning them to wait to resume doing business with APP.
While WWF is not yet recommending APP products, the conservation giant’s language has noticeably softened with the restoration announcement.
“We continue to advise buyers they must ensure implementation before making their buying decisions [and] they must also be aware that APP has commissioned Rainforest Alliance to conduct independent verification of their performance,” said Dido, adding:
“The restoration commitment is definitely something very encouraging, though the decision to buy should be based on implementation and not just commitments.”
Mere borgerinddragelse
APP says it will observe the principles of FPIC in protecting and restoring forest areas, an important component given widespread conflicts over land in much of Indonesia.
“Land cannot be conserved or restored in isolation, the sustainability of the entire landscape must be taken into account and many stakeholders must be involved. We hope that by working with Indonesian and international stakeholders, as well as organizations such as WWF and Greenpeace, our efforts will be much more effective,” said Aida Greenbury, APP’s managing director of sustainability.
“We believe that by assessing entire landscapes and creating clear tailor made objectives and strategies, the maximum possible level of conservation will be achieved, not just for natural forest in our concessions, but for areas around them as well.”
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