Asia Pulp & Paper Responds to Greenpeace's False Accusations on Indonesian Forestry

LOS ANGELES, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the recently released Greenpeace report regarding the Indonesian forestry industry, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is exposing the unequivocally inaccurate and deliberately misleading claims made against Indonesian sustainability policy and APP.

"APP is absolutely committed to the sustainable development of Indonesia and is dedicated to supporting the government to achieve its environmental and development objectives," said Aida Greenbury, managing director, sustainability and stakeholder engagement for APP. "We are disappointed that Greenpeace has published this report containing false and misleading claims about our sustainability commitments, and would like to set the record straight."

APP has highlighted the most inaccurate claims of the report, and has provided the facts of their operations and the Indonesian forestry industry:

• Greenpeace's claim of a 'secret' plan by APP to increase its current pulping capacity by up to seven times is totally false.  Indonesia's regulations require transparency for such expansion plans to be approved and supported by different levels in the provincial and central governments. Additionally, Greenpeace's allegation is illogical since roughly 20 million acres of gross pulpwood concession area would be needed to achieve the purported increase in production, yet currently in Indonesia, there is only 14 million acres of land allocated for such plantations.
• Contrary to Greenpeace allegations, APP's pulpwood suppliers only operate on land that the government has expressly set aside for pulpwood plantation development. All of APP pulpwood suppliers' areas are subject to rigorous, multiple socio-environment assessments, including an environmental impact assessment, as well as micro and macro-delineation by independent third parties. This ensures that high-conservation value areas, such as critical peatland over 3 meters, which the government identifies as protected, remain protected.
• In its most shameful allegation, Greenpeace accuses APP of compromising the habitat of endangered animals such as the Sumatran Tiger. APP can categorically state that this is not the case.  APP has set aside 261,930 acres of production forest to serve as the core of the Senepis Sumatran Tiger Sanctuary in the Riau province, a pioneering initiative that is a vital contribution to the survival of this species.

"It is regretful that Greenpeace published this report without contacting us first, as it draws many false conclusions and presents harmful, misleading allegations that undermine the company's and the Indonesian government's efforts toward sustainable development," said Greenbury.

APP's Commitment to Sustainability

Greenbury affirmed that sustainable operations are an integral part of APP's business model saying, "We intend to be around for the long run and continue to grow in this industry; so, one priority is to continuously work to ensure the sustainability of our raw materials for the future, in line with Indonesian government policies and regulations."

Currently, APP pulpwood suppliers, based on their conservation value assessments and government-approved development plans, develop only 60 percent of their production area, while the remaining 40 percent is set aside for conservation, community forest, indigenous species' development and relevant infrastructure.

Additionally, to support APP's commitment to ensure that no illegal wood enters its production facilities, APP has implemented stringent, rigorous, externally-audited Legal Origin Verification and Chain of Custody (CoC) systems and protocols. APP's main pulp and paper mills successfully achieved CoC certification under the Indonesian Ecol-label Institute certification program, while APP's main paper mills have also obtained Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) CoC certification after a careful, independent review by accredited independent auditors.

"APP is committed to transparency, and we open our doors to credible and responsible NGOs to examine our products to understand the sustainable aspects of our raw materials and company," said Greenbury.  "We ask that instead of investing their resources to work against us, that NGOs come to examine our operations and work with us to seek new solutions that balance the complex and interconnected needs of the developing world."

About Asia Pulp & Paper

The Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP Group) is one of the largest vertically integrated pulp and paper companies in the world with annual combined pulp, paper, packaging products, and converting capacity of over 15 million tons globally. Headquartered in China and Indonesia, the company markets its products in 65 countries, across six continents.

The APP Group is dedicated to providing superior value to customers, employees, shareholders, and to the communities in which it operates. APP's production facilities are among the most advanced and environmentally efficient in the global pulp and paper industry. The company recognizes that a combination of social and economic best practices is the foundation for long-term business success, and is a leader in economic development in all of the communities in which it operates. The APP Group operates within globally recognized and verified standards in all of its production facilities, ensuring pulpwood suppliers meet stringent guidelines, guaranteeing sustainable forest management.

SOURCE Asia Pulp & Paper