BUSINESS
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - A newly-released Aidenvironment report (Feb 25) reveals that a pulpwood plantation development company (PT IFP), part of the Nusantara Fiber Group, has since 2016 been clearing the habitat of the critically-endangered Bornean orangutan across a concession for which it was granted a permit in 2009.
The total area of the concession lying in Indonesian Borneo’s Central Kalimantan province, after having its boundary demarcation approved, is 100,989 hectares, or nearly 1.4 times the size of Singapore.
The report discloses that the company has cleared over 10,000 hectares of forested areas. Approximately 50,000 hectares of forested areas, or almost 70% the size of Singapore, remain in the concession.
Aidenvironment also outlined the extent to which the Royal Golden Eagle group (RGE) is linked to the Nusantara Fiber Group in relation to this deforestation, despite a denial by RGE as also mentioned in the report.
The first photo below, taken from the Aidenvironment report, shows an example of the remaining roughly 50 thousand hectares of forested areas in the concession, while the second photo depicts some of the evidence of the deforestation detailed in the report.
Way back in November 2018, FORESTHINTS.NEWS also raised concerns about deforestation in the concession and presented evidence thereof.
Feedback from authorities
With reference to the Aidenvironment report, FORESTHINTS.NEWS delivered some queries (Feb 26) to Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry, in particular related to supply chains and potential efforts to save the Bornean orangutan's habitat in the concession.
The Ministry's Secretary General Bambang Hendroyono confirmed that the permit for the company to develop a pulpwood plantation was granted by the previous administration in mid-October 2009.
“The mixed tropical hardwood derived from the pulpwood plantation development by the company is in no way linked to the supply chains of Indonesia's pulp and paper industry. This is legally proven through traceable supply chain monitoring on a monthly basis,” he said.
Regarding the remaining forested areas in the concession, Hendroyono emphasized that not all of them are to be developed for pulpwood plantations because the company concerned is required to set some of them aside for conservation purposes and for engaging with local communities in a joint collaboration as part of a social forestry scheme.
As to the Bornean orangutan’s habitat, he said that the company needs to carry out re-delineation at the micro level so that key parts of the existing orangutan habitat in the concession are not lost to pulpwood plantation development.
Continuing path to reducing deforestation
In terms of whether the company is connected to a business group that has adopted a zero deforestation pledge, Secretary General Hendroyono explained that the business responsibility of the company’s operations falls under its own domain.
He pointed out that the Indonesian government has not adopted a zero deforestation policy, but remains committed to efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation at a certain level on a nationwide scale.
“Indonesia under the current administration has managed to make real progress by reducing emissions associated with deforestation and forest degradation, and we intend to continue in this impressive corridor across the nation,” he enthused in conclusion.
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BUSINESS
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - A newly-released Aidenvironment report (Feb 25) reveals that a pulpwood plantation development company (PT IFP), part of the Nusantara Fiber Group, has since 2016 been clearing the habitat of the critically-endangered Bornean orangutan across a concession for which it was granted a permit in 2009.
The total area of the concession lying in Indonesian Borneo’s Central Kalimantan province, after having its boundary demarcation approved, is 100,989 hectares, or nearly 1.4 times the size of Singapore.
The report discloses that the company has cleared over 10,000 hectares of forested areas. Approximately 50,000 hectares of forested areas, or almost 70% the size of Singapore, remain in the concession.
Aidenvironment also outlined the extent to which the Royal Golden Eagle group (RGE) is linked to the Nusantara Fiber Group in relation to this deforestation, despite a denial by RGE as also mentioned in the report.
The first photo below, taken from the Aidenvironment report, shows an example of the remaining roughly 50 thousand hectares of forested areas in the concession, while the second photo depicts some of the evidence of the deforestation detailed in the report.
Way back in November 2018, FORESTHINTS.NEWS also raised concerns about deforestation in the concession and presented evidence thereof.
Feedback from authorities
With reference to the Aidenvironment report, FORESTHINTS.NEWS delivered some queries (Feb 26) to Indonesia's Ministry of Environment and Forestry, in particular related to supply chains and potential efforts to save the Bornean orangutan's habitat in the concession.
The Ministry's Secretary General Bambang Hendroyono confirmed that the permit for the company to develop a pulpwood plantation was granted by the previous administration in mid-October 2009.
“The mixed tropical hardwood derived from the pulpwood plantation development by the company is in no way linked to the supply chains of Indonesia's pulp and paper industry. This is legally proven through traceable supply chain monitoring on a monthly basis,” he said.
Regarding the remaining forested areas in the concession, Hendroyono emphasized that not all of them are to be developed for pulpwood plantations because the company concerned is required to set some of them aside for conservation purposes and for engaging with local communities in a joint collaboration as part of a social forestry scheme.
As to the Bornean orangutan’s habitat, he said that the company needs to carry out re-delineation at the micro level so that key parts of the existing orangutan habitat in the concession are not lost to pulpwood plantation development.
Continuing path to reducing deforestation
In terms of whether the company is connected to a business group that has adopted a zero deforestation pledge, Secretary General Hendroyono explained that the business responsibility of the company’s operations falls under its own domain.
He pointed out that the Indonesian government has not adopted a zero deforestation policy, but remains committed to efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation at a certain level on a nationwide scale.
“Indonesia under the current administration has managed to make real progress by reducing emissions associated with deforestation and forest degradation, and we intend to continue in this impressive corridor across the nation,” he enthused in conclusion.
RELATED STORIES
