24 September 2014: Indonesia and Jokowi: greening hopes?
Khor Reports: I had just noticed reader interest picking up on my Indonesia related postings on more palm oil sustainability technical matters and regulations, and thought a collation here might be handy. Also, a good summary on Jokowi stance on green matters (see below) from Climate Advisers of the US which says it takes a constructive stance on Indonesia's greening prospects. Climate Advisers works alongside TFT (interestingly, it is formally a UK-registered charity) in advising Wilmar on its traceability program. Useful to see what is the US organization is saying.
Indonesia recent moves tightening up on environmental regulations - hefty fines. I'll look for my piece on indigenous land rights and impact on concessions and post up soon.
- Indonesia haze: landmark peat fire fine, ratifies Asean haze agreement (update 1), Tuesday, September 23, 2014, http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.sg/2014/09/indonesia-ratifies-asean-
- Landmark Indonesia ruling on peat infractions, January 13, 2014; http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.sg/2014/01/landmark-indonesia-ruling-on-peat.html
- Singapore approves anti-haze bill and Jokowi eyes drones to stop land misuse (update 2), August 6, 2014 http://khorreports-palmoil.blogspot.sg/2014/08/singapore-approves-anti-haze-bill-and.html
Online links:
Jokowi Wins: This Could Turn Out to be the Biggest Climate News of 2014 By Andreas Dahl-Jørgensen and Michael Wolosin, Forests & Lands, Political Strategy; http://www.climateadvisers.com/jokowiwins/:
What does Jokowi’s win mean for the world’s climate? The short answer: Possibly a huge deal. Here’s why. ... where is Indonesia heading on deforestation and carbon emissions? There are two diametrically opposed answers to this question... The “glass-half-empty” camp looks at deforestation rates and sees failure. Recent studies have confirmed that the loss of natural forests has dramatically increased in the last couple of years. Deforestation is now higher in Indonesia than in Brazil, in part due to Brazil’s 80% reduction over the last decade – the largest emission reductions anywhere anytime ....The “glass-half-full” view – which we share – looks not only at the disturbing deforestation data, but also takes into account the dramatic systemic changes and leadership that is taking place. Frances Seymour, previously the head of the Center for International Forestry Research and now a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, has referred to the deal with Norway as the most significant game changer for Indonesia’s forests in the last 25 years....
...Here’s what we see below the surface:
1.Disruptive transparency that “exposes the mess.”... One Map
2.Fundamental land-use reforms. Moratorium. Land swaps?
3.Ending impunity. The President’s special reform unit and the anti-corruption unit (KPK) have embarked on a review of existing concessions and a comprehensive law enforcement campaign. It is following the money, with fines up to $ 9 million and executives being jailed.
4.Indigenous rights.... Landmark court ruling in 2013 Indigenous claims are being included in the government’s One Map initiative.
5.Private sector sea change.... Large and powerful companies have gone from opponents to critical allies of the reformers.
These remarkable developments are reminiscent of the strategies that helped Brazil’s deforestation rate plummet in a way no one thought possible.
The Jokowi Forest Agenda. There are three big reasons forest advocates and observers should be excited about a Jokowi presidency... First, while environmental issues didn’t feature strongly during the campaign, the things he did say were good, even if lacking specifics. (See Loren Bell’s excellent summary here; http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0724-lbell-commentary-jokowi.html) He stated that Indonesia has “pursued economic growth too aggressively and not paid attention to the environment.”...Second, Jokowi agreed to implement the reforms requested by the indigenous peoples’ organization AMAN, including implementing the Constitutional Court decision granting land rights to indigenous peoples. In return Jokowi received AMAN’s endorsement and active campaign support, the first presidential candidate ever to do so.... The third and perhaps most important reason for optimism relates not to his stance on the environment but his vision for good governance and social justice.... His coalition does not hold a majority in parliament, and he may need to learn to play the political game of favors to get things done. Even with the right reforms, deforestation is unlikely to decline immediately given the sheer inertia. But it’s hard to see how one could have asked for a president more aligned with the anti-deforestation agenda than Jokowi....
