In response to the Sinar Mas company’s continued destruction of peatland and forests in Indonesia, Greenpeace has taken direct action. The environmental group is calling on Indonesia’s President to ban the company from further expanding and for a moratorium on further forest conversion. This will help to limit greenhouse gas emissions, protect endangered species and ensure the future of local communities that depend on the forests.
The company is part of the Asia Pulp & Paper Group, Indonesia’s largest pulp and paper company. According to Greenpeace International, APP is responsible for the clearance of almost 8,000 ha of rainforest since 2013. Its parent company, Sinar Mas Group, has not acted meaningfully to address the allegations and has stopped all further engagement. Nonetheless, the Indonesian government and industry must work together to protect the rainforest and protect the people who live in the area.
As the world’s largest company, Nestle has announced a policy that prohibits its products from being made with palm oil produced by the company. The ban could lead to the creation of the largest climate-friendly initiative in history, and a two-year moratorium would save millions of acres of Indonesian forest from destruction. In the meantime, a new deal is being negotiated to ensure that companies such as APP and Sinar Mas comply with the law and refuse to do business with the companies that are destroying it.
The deforestation and environmental damage caused by the company are shocking, and Greenpeace has mapped the extent of the destruction in two concessions. In a period of just two years, almost 8,000 ha of forest have been cleared in two concessions, which are associated with APP and its parent company, the Sinar Mas Group. Despite our efforts to reach an agreement with the company, it has not taken any meaningful action. Therefore, Greenpeace has ended engagement with Asia Pulp & Paper.
The recent Indonesian government has stepped up its efforts to halt the company’s destructive activities. In a press conference on October 17, 2015, the company responded by agreeing to halt operations in their concessions. While the company’s response was largely positive, it was unable to take any action on its own. Nevertheless, it has refused to cooperate with Greenpeace.
The activists chained themselves to the building entrance to protest the deforestation. The banner they had emblazoned with the words “Forest and Climate Criminals” and “Forest Defenders of the Earth” are displayed at the top of the building. During the demonstration, the police forced the activists to remove their banners. The group was unable to stop the protesters, but did attempt to halt the destruction of the forest.