The clearing of dense natural forest and draining of deep carbon-rich peat to produce pulp and establish plantations is a major factor of carbon dioxide emissions.

A relevant part of APRIL's plantations in Sumatra is on peat soil. When peat is drained to host a plantation, it decompose releasing CO2. A few years ago, a scientific study released by the University of Helsinki, analyzed peat CO2 emission into APRIL's Acacia plantations in Sumatra, concluding that they are around 80 tons of carbon dioxide per hectare per year.

In 2015, APRIL committed to restore peatlands and to improve the management in the remaining peat areas. However it is still not clear what these improvements will be, as the company still promotes the its "eco-hydro" water management system (water levels regulation) that fails to protect the integrity of peatlands.

APRIL has been implicated as one of the companies responsible for the massive forest fires that plague Riau province. Based on NASA Modis Fire monitoring in the period of 13-19 February 2014, Eyes on the Forest identified 891 hotspots inside APRIL affiliated companies’ concessions. Fire in Riau province is linked to bad forest practices, especially in the highly inflammable drained peat soil. The impact of these fires has been massive and devastating: around 50,000 people experienced respiratory infection diseases, 3 people died, 221 people lost their home farms and livelihood or have been displaced. The haze was so intensive that it caused cancellation of flights, impacted nearby countries and paralysed economic and social activities in impacted areas.

In January 2016, a group of NGO sent today a joint letter to APRIL on peat management in the Kampar Peninsula.
The NGOs noted that while APRIL announces a peatland restoration project., at the same time, the company is continuing to drain peatlands in the same region, for pulp plantations. The letter reminders to APRIL that science show their peat management system is not avoiding peat draining, with all the consequences of this (CO2 emissions, forest fires, soil subsidizing etc), and that industrial plantations on the peatlands of Kampar Peninsula are environmentally and economically unsustainable and irresponsible. The letter ask APRIL to abandon acacia plantations on peat and develop the use of alternative crops that require no drainage, and manage peatlands in an environmentally and socially way.