Palm Oil Industry is Cooking the Climate

In a report, "How the Palm Oil Industry is Cooking the Climate," Greenpeace blames American and European companies for the destruction of Indonesia's forests and peat swamps. If this destruction continues unabated, Greenpeace writes, vast amounts of carbon will be released, detonating a devastating "climate bomb." In making its case, Greenpeace ignores the real culprits of forest destruction - unethical local firms, government corruption resulting in weak oversight and enforcement, and a gold rush mentality leading local firms to expand at all costs. Greenpeace's report also ignores key industry-led initiatives that undermine the report's credibility. Greenpeace concludes by advocating an immediate moratorium on forest clearing and that funds be transferred "from rich to poor countries for forest protection." End summary. The Greenpeace Report ----------------------------- In early November Greenpeace International published a report entitled "How the Palm Oil Industry is Cooking the Climate." The report blames "the world's largest food, cosmetic and biofuel industries" - including U.S. firms such as Cargill, Archer-Daniels-Midland, and Procter & Gamble - for "driving the wholesale destruction of peatlands and rainforests." Unless forest and peat land destruction is stopped, the report concludes, the "peatlands will release massive amounts of carbon triggering a devastating climate bomb." Greenpeace blames two other culprits as well: shortcomings in the Kyoto protocol and the growing demand for biofuels. Greenpeace's report outlines four actions it describes as necessary to diffuse the "climate bomb". They include: -- A moratorium on forest clearance and peat land degradation; -- Prioritizing protection of remaining peat swamp forests and other high conservation value forests; -- The inclusion of a global funding mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation in the next phase of the Kyoto protocol (post 2012); and -- The transfer of funds from rich countries to poor countries to enable them to take immediate action to reduce their emissions from deforestation. Cooking the Books? ------------------ While the Greenpeace report correctly identifies the destruction of Indonesia's forests and the resulting carbon emissions as a massive international problem, it is wrong about the principal causes, misidentifies the culprits, and fails to acknowledge the positive impact Western-led self-regulation programs are having on the industry. In particular, the report wrongfully blames Western companies for destroying Indonesia's forests and the resulting release of carbon (rhetorically transferring responsibility for Indonesia's high greenhouse gas emissions back to the United States). The report also fails to acknowledge the impact of corruption, weak government oversight and regulatory systems, and the greater impact that domestic pulp, paper and logging industries have on the country's forest resources. Problems with corruption are present at all levels - local, provincial, and national. One example of the scale of corruption related to the domestic exploitation of land for palm oil cultivation is the March 2007 conviction of former East Kalimantan governor Suwarna Abdul Fatah in a case which has also implicated at least two former Ministers of Forestry. Fatah was convicted on corruption charges for unlawfully opening up one million hectares of land in East Kalimantan to local companies for palm oil development beginning in 1998. The main Indonesian company involved, PT Surya Dumai, sold the timber after clearing the land and failed to develop large tracts of the area slated for palm oil plantations. Fatah was sentenced to 18 months in prison and 22,000 USD fine by the Corruption Court in Jakarta in a case that is currently on appeal. American Firms in Indonesian Palm --------------------------------- Only two U.S. firms have a meaningful presence in Indonesian palm oil: Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). ADM entered the market earlier this year when it formally merged some of its Asian operations with Wilmar International Ltd. Wilmar itself is the largest global processor and merchandiser of palm oil, one of the larger plantation companies in Indonesia and Malaysia (though not in the top ten), and the largest palm biodiesel manufacturer in the world. Cargill International, by contrast, remains a relatively minor player in the Indonesian palm oil market. In its report, Greenpeace singled out both firms for criticism. Environmental activists point out that while all palm oil plantations claim to implement responsible land management policies, in practice, few are willing to commit the funds needed to live up to the rhetoric. Despite this, industry insiders and environmental NGOs generally agree that a handful of firms are genuinely attempting to operate responsibly. These firms include, among others, Cargill, London Sumatra, Socfindo, and Wilmar International (ADM's partner in palm). Ironically, American firms Wilmar International and Cargill are also primary targets of Greenpeace's faultfinding. According to various observers, several things set these firms apart from less responsible firms: -- These companies are among the few believed to be sincerely trying to comply with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) industry guidelines. Many other firms try to use RSPO for "greenwash". -- These companies have received or are seeking ISO 14001 Environmental Management certification which requires them to adhere to all environmental laws and regulations, treat effluents before discharging them, protect riverbanks, etc., practices eschewed as too costly by many local firms. -- These companies are also among the most conservative in expanding their operations. In general, it is the firms that are expanding too rapidly and in unsuitable areas that cause a disproportionate amount of environmental degradation. -- These companies are very technically competent and well- financed so there is less pressure to cut corners in land preparation or engage in burning. -- These companies have also developed a culture of ethical and professional management and corporate responsibility. 8. (SBU) Not all firms have such responsible management. Indonesia's second and third largest palm oil firms and their subsidiaries, Asian Agri (Raja Garuda Mas or RGM) and Sinar Mas (SMART), are relevant examples. The head of Asian Agri, Sukanto Tanoto, has fled to Singapore to avoid prosecution on charges of money laundering, corruption, and tax fraud. Last year, after the respected head of Mt. Leueser national park brought in heavy equipment in order to clear several thousand hectares of oil palm planted illegally by RGM inside the park, Tanoto reportedly complained to the Ministry of Forestry and had him removed. Several years ago the founder of Sinar Mas, Eka Cipta Widjaya, was accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars in the Asia Pulp and Paper debacle. More recently, environmental NGO WWF felt compelled to break off its relationship with Sinar Mas' pulp and paper division because of its failure to adhere to environmental norms. These two companies regularly boast of their rapid expansion in recent years. A final major flaw in the Greenpeace report is its treatment of industry self-regulation efforts such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). In the report, Greenpeace accuses the body of being complicit in environmental destruction without describing what the organization does. The roundtable's primary goal is the establishment of credible and verifiable global standards for the production and distribution of palm oil products - a goal Greenpeace purports to share. In fact, RSPO has developed detailed principles and criteria for sustainable production. Once the pilot programs are complete, RPSO members will be required to undergo an intense certification process to verify their compliance with the principles and standards. Other important industry initiatives include the ISO 14001 Environmental Management certification and partnerships with environmental NGOs. Cargill, for example, has partnered with Fauna Flora International (FFI). Under the arrangement, FFI assists Cargill in identifying high-conservation-value-forest areas for protection and monitors Cargill's compliance with environmental standards. If more palm oil plantations followed the lead of American and European companies involved in the industry, Indonesia's forests and wildlife would face far fewer threats.