Greenpeace, together with a broad coalition of NGOs working for biodiversity, human rights, climate protection and representing indigenous peoples, called on the Indonesian and Norwegian governments to close loopholes in a billion dollar deal to immediately implement a moratorium on all further natural forest clearance both within new and existing concession areas (1).
Details of the US$1 billion deal are being negotiated after a letter of intent was signed in May this year by Norwegian and Indonesian governments. As part of the agreement, Indonesia announced a two-year moratorium on any new concessions on conversion of natural forests and peatlands into plantations (2).
"President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Stoltenberg committed to a common goal to protect Indonesia’s remaining tropical forests. Their negotiators must agree to ensure the protection of all peatlands, tropical forests, biodiversity and indigenous people, and not seek to undermine their leader’s bold commitments", said Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, speaking at a media briefing in Jakarta today.
"The devil is in the detail. This could become the world’s greatest climate mitigation and adaptation project, or it could become the world’s biggest carbon scam. Details of this deal will set a precedent for future agreements to end deforestation globally, so it must be watertight."
"Irrespective of the moratorium, vast areas of tropical rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands are still earmarked for destruction in Indonesia. To be effective, this deal must revoke all existing permits to clear within these areas", he added.
Currently companies are destroying Indonesia’s carbon-rich peatlands and rainforests for palm oil and pulp and paper plantations. The destruction of peatlands and forests significantly contributes to climate change, making Indonesia one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters. Indigenous people’s customary lands and rights have been violated, causing social conflict, and natural habitats of endangered species are dwindling.
"Today we provided Indonesian decision makers with what civil society organizations recognize as minimum criteria and indicators for an effective moratorium. Norway’s negotiations with Indonesia to end forest destruction and to protect peatlands could change the course of history and move us forward to solving some of the major crises of our time: tropical rainforest destruction, species extinction and climate change", said Berry Nahdian Forqan, Executive Director of WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia).
Deforestation is responsible for about one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Ending deforestation must be central to a global strategy to tackle climate change, as it has the greatest potential to quickly deliver massive greenhouse gas emissions cuts.
