Indonesia will put a two-year moratorium on new concessions to clear natural forests and peatlands under a deal signed with Norway aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, the government said in a statement.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday witnessed the signing of an agreement in Oslo under which Norway will invest US$1 billion in forest conservation projects in Indonesia.
“In the second phase of the partnership, Indonesia is prepared to suspend for two years new concessions for the conversion of peat and natural forest lands,” said the statement issued late on Wednesday after the talks. “Sufficient non-forest lands exist for Indonesia to accommodate the growth of its vitally important plantation industries, a major source of livelihoods in Indonesia.”
The suspension would encourage the development of new plantations “on degraded lands rather than vulnerable forests and peatlands.”
Previous concessions already granted to clear forest land are likely to still be honored. Part of Norway’s US$1 billion will be spent on creating monitoring systems and pilot projects under a UN-backed forest preservation scheme called reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD).
REDD allows developing nations to earn money by not chopping down their trees and preserving carbon-rich peatlands, seen as key to slowing climate change because forests soak up huge amounts of greenhouse gases.
The Indonesia-based Center for International Forestry Research welcomed the deal, which they said could be “a game-changer in the drive to make REDD a reality.”
Greenpeace yesterday welcomed the agreement, but urged Jakarta to re-evaluate permits already issued for forest clearance.
“We appreciate Indonesia and Norway’s cooperation and also Indonesia’s plan to introduce a two-year moratorium to stop conversion of peatlands and forests,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia forest campaigner Joko Arif said.
“But to be more effective in combating deforestation, the government must evaluate existing permits as many of them have legal problems,” which allow the holders to clear peatlands, he said.
Because of the destruction of its forests, Indonesia is the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, after the US and China, according to some estimates.
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