Indonesia flip-flop on pledge of deforestation at COP26

Adding to the confusion over Indonesia’s position, the country’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar on Thursday denied that zero deforestation by 2030 was even part of the COP26 commitment.

“The statement issued makes no reference to ‘end deforestation by 2030’,” he said in a statement.

“It is important to go beyond mere narrative, rhetoric, arbitrary targets and sound clips,” he added.

He further explained that the commitment was not to stop deforestation completely, but to ensure that there was no net loss of woodland.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on Thursday and the presidential palace could not be reached.

Mahendra later told Reuters that Indonesia interpreted “halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030,” as stated in the pledge, as “sustainable forest management … not deforestation by 2030 ”.

“Deeply disappointing”

Environment Minister Siti said definitions of deforestation differ significantly, so imposing European standards on Indonesia was unfair.

Instead, she highlighted Indonesia’s less absolute targets, according to which the forestry sector would absorb more greenhouse gases than it releases by 2030 by minimizing deforestation and rehabilitating forests. .

But a central country’s almost immediate about-face to save the world’s tropical rainforests sparked outrage on social media in Indonesia and among environmental activists.

“The statement is deeply disappointing,” said Kiki Taufik, head of the Indonesian forest campaign for Greenpeace, calling it “completely at odds with the statement”.

“Friends of the environment or of money? Ma’am,” commented Instagram user Bayu Satrio Nugroho under Siti’s post.

Although Indonesia plans to phase out its coal-fired power plants and achieve net zero emissions by 2060, leaving the forests untouched will be a challenge.

Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of palm oil, and in 2019 alone, an area of ​​forests and other land half the size of Belgium was burned for plantations.

However, the authorities have since 2018 suspended the issuance of permits for new plantations and reduced deforestation by 75% last year.

Indonesia is also looking to expand its nickel and electric vehicle (EV) industries, requiring more land.

Fitch Solutions, in a research note on the COP26 engagement, said this could pose a risk to the development of the electric vehicle supply chain in Indonesia and the establishment of new nickel mines due to the pressure to stem deforestation.