Dunia Politik dan Ekonomi

Greenpeace Indonesia admitted that it had worked with a group of palm oil and paper companies in 2013-2018, as alleged by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). However, this environmental organization denied that in this cooperation they never questioned the company’s deforestation, production activities on peatlands and forest areas. Politik Indonesia

The head of the Greenpeace Forest Campaign Team, Arie Rompas, explained that the collaboration that began in 2013 was between Greenpeace Indonesia and the Sinar Mas group Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). Arie said that his party only cooperated with the Sinar Mas group. His party never collaborated with a palm oil company in 2011, as negotiated by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.  Dunia Politik dan Ekonomi

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The collaboration with Sinar Mas, said Arie, began when the group of companies engaged in the paper and palm oil sector was known to “become a big player in deforestation”. After coming under pressure from environmental groups and its own consumers, Sinar Mas has finally committed to stop deforestation in its concession area.

From this commitment, Greenpeace Indonesia agreed to work together to provide advice and monitor efforts to stop Sinar Mas’ deforestation. “We then give advice to them to make land conservation policies and zero deforestation in this group, in all its companies,” said Arie to Republika, Wednesday (17/11). Ekonomi Indonesia

Thus, said Arie, KLHK’s accusation that Greenpeace has never questioned Sinar Mas’ deforestation is a big mistake. In fact, stopping deforestation is at the heart of Greenpeace’s collaboration with Sinar Mas. Greenpeace has also questioned the group’s production activities on peatlands and forest areas.

Arie also highlighted the KLHK accusation that, during their collaboration, Greenpeace had never asked for the revocation of Sinar Mas’ license on peatlands and forest areas. Arie said that his party had actually campaigned for it many times.

“Greenpeace is not the government that has the authority. The KLHK should have revoked the permit based on the findings of the KLHK,” said Arie.  Politik dalam dan luar negeri

Ironically, said Arie, when several years ago Greenpeace campaigned for Sinar Mas’ use of peatland and forest areas, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry denied it. “It’s funny how this statement from the Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry who used to be the Director General of Greenpeace campaigned for the damage caused by Sinar Mas, it was he who later denied that it was a campaign that would damage the Indonesian economy,” said Arie. Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Bambang Hendroyono is known to have served as Director General of Forestry Business Development at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2012-2015.

Arie added that the cooperation between Greenpeace and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry was officially ended in 2018. This was announced by Greenpeace officially on its website. The cooperation ended, he said, because Sinar Mas was known to still carry out deforestation in 2016-2017 using the services of other companies.

According to Arie, all these accusations by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry show their own depravity. When Greenpeace wanted to have an open debate regarding deforestation data, KLHK instead tried to attack Greenpeace. “MoEF is subjectively conveying waste information to the public,” he said.

Previously, KLHK accused Greenpeace Indonesia of collaborating with a number of palm oil and paper companies, which carried out deforestation in the 2011-2018 period. Therefore, it is only natural that Greenpeace understands the issue of deforestation.

Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Bambang Hendroyono, in his official press release, said that during the collaboration with Greenpeace, these companies were still carrying out deforestation. These companies even caused forest and land fires (Karhutla) in 2015.

Bambang also accused Greenpeace of never questioning the activities of these companies on peatlands and forest areas. Greenpeace has also never asked for the revocation of the company’s concessions on peatlands and forest areas.

For Bambang, Greenpeace is not consistent in its attitude. “If Greenpeace is now questioning palm oil in forest areas, the question is why are they only now asking about it? Hasn’t Greenpeace been collaborating with oil palm groups that have oil palm in forest areas for years?” said Bambang.

This accusation was made by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry because Greenpeace Indonesia criticized Jokowi’s speech at COP26 Glasgow regarding the decline in deforestation rates. Greenpeace denied Jokowi’s claim. Greenpeace said that deforestation in Indonesia had actually increased from the previous 2.45 million ha (2003-2011) to 4.8 million ha (2011-2019).