A group of NGOs sent a letter to APP director, Linda Wijaya, after a stakeholder engagement forum in Jakarta on October 5th. At the forum, APP presented information on how it is attempting to implement its Forest Conservation Policy and associated plans, and NGO’s raised the issues contained in this letter and sought assurances from APP that it will increase its efforts to quickly reform its structures and practices. The signatories made clear to APP that their re-engagement is not an endorsement of the company’s policies and practices and should not be used by the company to promote its products in the market place or seek additional finance.
Download the letter here.

Indonesia second biggest pulp and paper company announced today an immediate moratorium on logging in natural forests. After many years of environmental and social conflicts, Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) announced the end of deforestation, together with a number of measures that will improve its previous forest policy.
Environmental organizations, with different tones, welcome the move but remain cautious, waiting to look how the policy will be implemented on the ground. They also suggested some issues that need to be addressed during the implementation, and Environmental Paper Network will facilitate this process.

According to Riau network Jikalahari, the new commitment seems to be stronger that the previous policy, but it still remains weak on transparency. In fact, it is still not clear wether HCV assessments, environmental impact assessments and supplier list will be shared with stakeholders, as required by the national scheme GN PSDA. Furthermore, a major effort is needed in social conflicts resolution Also peat restoration requires further steps: APRIL should comply with the new regulation on peatlands protection and best management, and i can even be pioneer in its implementation. Given past experience, an extra effort to ensure its full implementation and prevent breaches are needed.

Greenpeace highlighted the progresses, stressing that APRIL has agreed to a number of new conservation measures, including using the High Carbon Stock Approach to identify and protect forest areas remaining in their concessions. The company has also agreed to protect forested peatlands and has established a Peat Expert Working Group to help its develop international best practice for managing peatlands to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“We commend APRIL for agreeing to end its deforestation, although we will be watching closely to make sure that today’s announcement leads to real change on the ground,” said Bustar Maitar, Head of Greenpeace’s Forest Campaign in Indonesia. Greenpeace added that now the government must now act to reform the forest sector so it works for people and the environment.
see: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/media/press-releases/new-forest-conservation-policy-pulp-and-paper-giant-april-shows-forest-protection-becoming-way-forward-indo

While also optimistic, WWF is still cautious on APRIL’s full and strict implementation of its policy and intends to closely monitor progress in partnership with stakeholders such as NGO coalition Eyes on the Forest. “This strengthened commitment by APRIL is an encouraging step along the pathway towards responsible and sustainable production,” said WWF Indonesia’s Aditya Bayunanda. “The enhanced Sustainable Forest Management Policy announced today is APRIL’s response to longstanding calls to quit deforestation by civil society groups. WWF hopes APRIL can fully implement this commitment considering its potentially positive environment and social impacts,” added Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia.
see: http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/press_releases/?247651/WWF-welcomes-APRILs-new-deforestation-moratorium-careful-scrutiny-required-on-implementation

The Rainforest Action Network welcomed APRIL announcement to transform its business model by eliminating deforestation, expansion into peatlands and human rights violations from its operations and supply chains, as well as action to address and remedy its legacy of adverse social and environmental impacts. “In moving forward, APRIL must also address its legacy of land conflict, deforestation of critical species habitat and peatland conversion. We will be watching APRIL to see whether the company can transform its corporate culture and demonstrate transparency including independent monitoring and verification of its performance on key issues. In its operations and before any expansion, APRIL must go beyond paper promises to proven outcomes, demonstrating to its customers, investors and to the communities and landscapes that have been harmed by its operations that it is accountable for and will remedy past and prevent future adverse impacts.” said Lafcadio Cortesi “RAN urges customers and investors to assess their business relationships with APRIL based on demonstrated and independently verified outcomes on the ground. Paper policies must be translated into action and improved results for communities and forests on the ground”

APRIL press release
http://www.aprilasia.com/images/pdf_files/20150603-sfmp-2-0-media-release.pdf

Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) Forestry, Fibre, Pulp & Paper Sustainability Framework
http://www.rgei.com/sustainability/sustainability-framework

Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (APRIL) has released a new Sustainable Forest Management Policy (SFMP). The company will establish a moratorium on clearing in concessions where there has not been independent assessment of conservation values. APRIL also promised that it will complete plantation establishment by the end of 2014.

APRIL is one of the most controversial paper companies, having cleared tropical rain forests of Sumatra, violating local community’s rights, threatening endangered species such as Sumatran Tiger, and releasing huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere by converting peatlands into pulpwood plantations.

WWF cautiously welcomed the announcement, noting that the policy still “allows for APRIL to utilize wood from tropical forests in its mill until the end of 2019.” WWF is urging APRIL to stop using fibre from natural forests by 2014.

Woro, of Jikalahari, the environmental network of Riau, Indonesia, expressed more skepticism: “There is strong evidence that APRIL broke its own previous commitment regarding sustainable forest management. In the past this company announced an HCVF assessment in the Kampar Peninsula, but afterwards APRIL continued to convert these forests. Until now, APRIL has been involved in forest crimes and unsustainable forest practices, and we don’t have good reason to look at this new policy as a promising development.”

Lafcadio Cortesi, of Rainforest Action Network, responded to the policy by saying, “This new commitment is a missed opportunity which raises as many questions as it answers. The policy is limited in scope and has large loopholes and major gaps. It sends a clear signal to customers, investors as well as the companies colleagues in the World Business Council on Sustainable Development that APRIL and all of Sukanto Tanoto’s holdings should remain no go, no buy.”

Zulfahmi of Greenpeace Southeast Asia states that, “APRIL’s carefully orchestrated policy announcement is essentially a licensce to continue forest clearance. A glaring weakness is that it would allow its current suppliers to continue to destroy forest and peatlands for nearly a year, and give it another six more years until it would stop using rainforest fibre at its mill.”

“Before being accepted as a non controversial business partner, APRIL should also take its responsibility for the precious habitat destroyed in the past years, and commit to restore devastated habitats and return land to local communities” concluded Sergio Baffoni, of the European Environmental Paper Network. “Our member NGOs advise companies to continue avoiding any business with this company until a credible policy is adopted and implemented on the ground.”

Today the Environmental Paper Networks in Europe and North America release seven “Performance Milestones” necessary to verify the implementation of commitments made by Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) under the company’s Sustainability Roadmap – Vision 2020 and latest Forest Conservation Policy. The Performance Milestones and their auditing will help customers and investors determine whether APP effectively implements its policy commitments and can help guide action by other pulp/paper companies in Indonesia and elsewhere. The Environmental Paper Network is urging customers to insist on independent third party auditing to verify the implementation of APP commitments and the performance milestones released today.

An online event to introduce the Performance Milestones will be held today, Thursday, September 19th. This webinar will broadcast at 11:00 AM in New York, 17:00 in Central Europe and 10:00 PM in Jakarta and include speakers from Wahana Bumi Hijau, Rainforest Action Network, WWF and Greenpeace. Space is limited.

To download the Performance Milestones and register for the webinar go to http://environmentalpaper.org/milestones/

Full press release here: Performance-Milestones-PressRelease-FINAL

In February this year, Asia Pulp and Paper announced a new forest policy containing assurances that it would no longer make paper from rainforest destruction in Indonesia. Are they sticking to these promises? We invite paper buyers, merchants, retailers, investors, sustainable brand managers, CSR Executives, social and environmental NGOs and interested media to join in the launch of an important tool to help answer this question.

The EEPN and EPN are hosting a webinar on 19 September, to launch a document containing performance milestones for Asia Pulp and Paper’s Forest Conservation Policy. This document will help in the ongoing assessment of the implementation of commitments made under Asia Pulp and Paper’s ‘Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2020’ and Forest Conservation Policy.

To register for the webinar, please follow this link. Attendance at the webinar is limited.