Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Palm oil firms have continued burning peatland forest to expand their businesses, defying a government ban aimed at curbing the country’s carbon emissions, a leading environment group says.

Greenpeace conducted a field investigation of Riau province, the country’s largest peatland forest and the biggest producers of palm oil, between February and March.

“We are shocked to find two palm oil concessions are still clearing, draining and burning peatland forest in Riau,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia forest campaigner Hapsoro said at a press conference here Monday.

“We are afraid such practices are still going on in provinces of Central Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua,” he said.

Hapsoro said two palm oil companies had started operating at the peatland area in Indragiri Hulu regency.

“They are yet to secure concession permits from the local regent,” Hapsoro said.

“We call on the government to ‘give teeth’ to their Bali commitment to saving the forests and tackling climate change, by putting measures immediately in place to regulate the palm oil industry,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono issued a statement during the UN conference on climate change in Bali in December, ordering all governors to cease issuing permits for palm oil firms in peatland ecosystems.

The statement was a response to Greenpeace and other environmental groups, who urged the government to stop converting the country’s peatlands.

Indonesia has about 20 million hectares of peatland.

A hectare of peatland is predicted to store between 3,400 and 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main global warming contributor.

Burning peatland releases a large amount of CO2, experts said.

According to a 2006 report by Wetlands International, Indonesia’s peatland emits two billion tons of CO2 a year. This is far higher than the country’s emissions from energy, agriculture and waste, which together amounts to only 451 million tons.

The report, titled “Peatland Degradation Fuels Climate Change”, ranked Indonesia as the world’s third largest emitter behind the United States and China.

Greenpeace political adviser Arif Wicaksono said the government should demonstrate its commitment to climate change to the international community by, amongst other things, handling the palm oil industry.

“Greenpeace is not against palm oil plantations. We oppose palm oil products processed by burning or draining peatland forests,” he said.

The government should learn from the growing rejection of Indonesian palm oil abroad, he said.

“It is time Indonesia put in place a moratorium on logging and converting peatlands while we seek ways to improve peatland forests,” he said.

The government is currently drafting a presidential regulation on sustainable peatland forest management.

According to the draft, expected to be completed this year, people or businesses operating in peatland areas must preserve the ecological functions of the land.

The draft also tightened supervision of peatland areas and banned the slash-and-burn land clearing method.

Local administrations are obliged to report any use of peatlands in their jurisdiction to the central government, according to the draft.

Currently, the management of peatlands is at the hands of local administrations.

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