The announcement, which takes effect immediately, will see all APP suppliers suspend natural forest clearance. The firm says independent assessments will also take place to identify areas of high conservation that can be protected through what is described as a, ‘long-term management programme’.
High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessments will now be undertaken by The Forest Trust to identify forest areas, enabling APP to ensure future planation development does not take place there.
However, despite the impressive claims from APP, environmental specialist group, WWF, remains sceptic about what can be expected by the firm. Although hopefully about what the initiative could achieve, the non-governmental organisation points to failed promises in the past from APP to the WWF and issues a warning about the latest claims.
Unfortunately, APP has a long history of making commitments to WWF, customers and other stakeholders that it has failed to live up to—we hope this time the company does what it has promised”
“APP had committed to most of WWF’s calls. If the company follows through on this, it could be great news for Indonesia’s forests, biodiversity and citizens,” comments WWF-Indonesia conservation director, Nazir Foead.
He adds: “Unfortunately, APP has a long history of making commitments to WWF, customers and other stakeholders that it has failed to live up to—we hope this time the company does what it has promised.
“WWF plans to independently monitor APP’s wood sourcing and forestry activities for compliance with its commitments, and regularly update stakeholders on the findings.”
If the claims from APP are upheld, it will mean the company has reached a target of ending natural forest clearance two years early. Initial plans from the firm were to implement High Conservation Value Forest principles and end forest clearance across its supply chain by 2015.
We are doing this for the sustainability of our business and for the benefit of the society”
Initial plans from the firm set out a plan for it to implement High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) principles and end natural forest clearance across its supply chain by 2015—with this achievement seemingly been brought forward by two years.
APP Group chairman, Teguh Ganda Wijaya, claims the recent move underlines the firm’s commitment and investment in the environment, adding: “We are doing this for the sustainability of our business and for the benefit of the society. We hope our stakeholders will support our new Policy, help us along the way and urge other industry players to follow.”
Whether the firm will uphold the claims remains to be seen, but with a stark warning from the WWF—as well as the group’s pledge to closely monitor the situation—this could prove to be a key step in APP’s future environmental strategy.