“Zero deforestation” champion creates new risks for Indonesia’s forests and peatlands

A new study by twelve international and Indonesian NGOs shows that in spite of its high-profile commitment to “zero deforestation”, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is building one of the world’s largest pulp mills in the Indonesian province of South Sumatra without a sustainable wood supply.

As country representatives gather on April 22 to sign the Paris climate change agreement, this analysis of APP’s mega-scale pulp mill project suggests that Indonesia and China’s largest pulp and paper producer may fail to fulfill its “zero deforestation” commitments and pledges to tackle climate change made in 2014 at the New York Declaration on Forests and in 2015 at the Paris COP-21.

The mega-scale pulp mill will add significant challenges for Indonesia to prevent catastrophic fires in the region and to achieve its international climate change commitments, according to the organizations co-authoring the study, which include WWF, Wetlands International, Rainforest Action Network, and Indonesia’s Anti- Forest Mafia Coalition.

“APP has not publicly released a credible plan showing its plantations can grow enough wood for all three mills over the long term,” said Aditya Bayunanda, Forest Commodity Leader for WWF in Indonesia. “If faced with shortages of fiber, we are concerned that APP could default on its ‘zero deforestation’ commitment and resume using large volumes of wood from natural forests at its Sumatra mills,” cautioned Bayunanda.
http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?265912/Zero-deforestation-champion-creates-new-risks-for-Indonesias-forests-and-peatlands