WASHINGTON: Environmental organization Greenpeace warned last week that Indonesia's one billion dollar agreement with Norway to preserve the Southeast Asian country's forest could benefit palm oil companies and fuel forest destruction. Vague legal definitions could allow continued clearance of forest in the name of rehabilitation of degraded forest areas, Greenpeace said in a new report titled Protection Money. Greenpeace said government documents revealed plans for expansion in the pulp, palm, agriculture, biofuel and coal sectors that could bring an additional 63 million hectares of land into use by 2030. The documents show that areas earmarked for the expansion include 40 percent of Indonesia's forest area, some 37 million hectares, according to Greenpeace. Norway has pledged one billion dollars to a United Nations-backed scheme designed to reduce deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia. The deal includes a two-year moratorium on allocation of further peatlands and natural forests for sector expansion. “[Money] earmarked for forest protection may actually be used to subsidize their destruction with significant climate, wildlife and social costs,” the report said. Greenpeace said government figures showed that with an increased focus on productivity, the targeted increase in production for these industries can actually be achieved without further deforestation. “It's clear that the palm and paper sectors can achieve expansion targets without damaging another hectare of forest,” the group said in a statement. “This would be a win for the industry and Indonesian economy, a win for forest communities and threatened species, and a model of the real-world solutions we need to tackle climate change,” it added. Indonesia is the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, mainly owing to the rapid destruction of its forests. BM
