Greenomics: two APRIL joint venture companies are clearing forested deep peatlands in the Kampar Peninsula Landscape

A new report released today by Greenomics Indonesia concludes that APRIL has not been able to eliminate deforestation and peatland destruction from its supply chain. Greenomics noted that two APRIL joint venture companies – PT UNISERAYA and PT TRIOMAS – are continuing to clear deep forested peatlands for oil-palm plantation development in the Kampar Peninsula Landscape, Riau Province, Sumatra, Indonesia. The two APRIL joint venture companies also own pulpwood plantation concessions (granted in their own names) in the Kampar Peninsula Landscape that supply pulpwood to APRIL’s mills.

The wood produced by the clearance of deep forested peatland is supplied to an RGE-linked plywood industry company. APRIL and RGE have actually undermined their own commitments.

Although the two APRIL joint venture companies are not clearing the aforesaid forested deep peatlands for the development of pulpwood plantations, both companies are legally registered as suppliers of APRIL's mills. This shows that APRIL’s supply chain continues to be tainted by deforestation, given that the two companies are APRIL joint ventures.
The report is based on USGS Landsat 8 images and photographs taken byEyes on the Forest (EoF) field observation team between the start of October and early November 2015. Data on peatland distribution and depth is based on data fromWetlands International.