20 Oct
2006 - Jakarta, Indonesia - A new WWF monitoring
report released today reveals that Asia Pulp &
Paper (APP), one of the world's largest paper
and pulp companies, is going to destroy one of
the most delicate of all remaining ecosystems
in Indonesia - the peat swamp forests of Kampar
Peninsula in Sumatra.
The report also reveals how
APP hides its continued destruction of natural
tropical rainforests that house Sumatran tigers
and elephants behind a global advertising campaign
that misleads buyers who are increasingly concerned
with the company's poor environmental performance.
In August, APP ran an advertisement in the New
York Times and London Times claiming it was committed
to "conservation beyond compliance".
The Kampar Peninsula consists
of approximately 400,000 hectares of large, still
relatively intact peat swamp forest which is an
important habitat for Sumatran tiger. Jikalahari,
a local NGO network, and WWF have proposed it
as a national park. But APP is getting ready to
clear the forest on top of a deep peat dome.
"If APP would abide by
its own 'conservation beyond compliance' propaganda,
none of this forest would be cleared," said
Nazir Foead, WWF-Indonesia's Director of Policy
& Corporate Engagement. "But apparently
the company decided to run a global propaganda
campaign rather than protect forests with high
conservation values."
Since it began operations in
the 1980s, APP has pulped close to a million hectares
of Riau's natural forests. WWF's latest report
details how APP's "forest protection based
on legal compliance" has destroyed about
a third of the forest lost in Riau.
In the past, APP had pledged
to protect few small blocks of high conservation
value forests (HCVF). However, according to SmartWood,
which was hired by APP to audit its performance
in protecting these HCVFs, APP failed to protect
them. In a meeting with WWF in June this year,
APP then refused to guarantee that HCVF would
be excluded from its future logging and wood sourcing
operations.
"APP simply cannot afford
to protect natural forests as it needs wood to
keep its pulp mill running," added Foead.
"With failing plantations, it is likely that
APP will continue to pulp the remaining forests
until none are left to be cut."
WWF is calling on all pulp and
paper producers and buyers to avoid suppliers
who use any fibre from legally questionable sources
or from clear-cutting HCVF. Based on their own
responsible purchasing policies, some companies,
like the Ricoh Group and Fuji Xerox Group, both
headquartered in Japan, have stopped purchasing
APP products.
"Companies that source
illegally or from high conservation value forests
are exposing themselves to criticisms as they
indirectly contribute to the destruction of natural
forests and near extinction of tigers, elephants
and other wildlife," said Foead. "The
livelihoods of communities who depend on these
forest resources are also at stake here."
WWF is working closely with
Indonesian government agencies to ensure that
forest conservation is part of land-use planning
and conversion licensing processes. Such collaboration
has already led the Indonesia Forestry Ministry
to issue a decree establishing an elephant conservation
centre in Riau and halt to natural forest conversion.
"Despite this and the Indonesian
government's no natural forest conversion policy,
APP continues to clear forested areas," Foead
said. "More pressure needs to be put on APP
to stop its destructive practices."
Notes to Editors:
1. WWF's new report launched
today "Hiding Destruction behind False Advertisements:
APP continues to ignore calls for conservation
beyond 'legal compliance', and even fails on the
latter" can be downloaded at: http://www.wwf.or.id/index.php?fuseaction=newsroom.detail&id=NWS1161151678&language=e
2. High Conservation Value Forests
(HCVFs) are forests of outstanding and critical
importance due to their environmental, socio-economic,
biodiversity or landscape values.
3. For guidance on responsible
purchasing, see WWF's "Responsible Purchasing
of Forest Products Guide" (second edition).
Nazir Foead, Director of Policy & Corporate
Engagement
WWF Indonesia
