3 Ways to Achieve Zero Tropical Deforestation by 2020
Submitted by Ariana Alisjahbana on June 25, 2013
Deforestation is often associated with commodity production in Indonesia.
Credit: Agung Prasetyo/CIFOR - See more at: http://insights.wri.org/news/2013/06/3-ways-achieve-zero-tropical-deforestation-2020#sthash.2Hpbmufn.dpuf |
SUMMARY
This article is about planning 3 ways to stop or at least decrease the deforestation in the world. Some of the world's largest companies will join US and Indonesia government officials in Jakarta at the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 meeting to discuss this issue. A group of the world's 400 largest consumer goods companies from 40 countries, announced their commitment to contribute achieve net- zero deforestation by 2020. Those 3 ways are degraded lands, legal and voluntary certifications, and forest monitoring. |
REFLECTION
- Degraded lands - WRI and its partners work to identify degraded lands suitable for palm oil production, using biophysical, economic, social, and legal criteria. We have piloted our research method in the island of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Our results indicate that there are potentially 14 million hectares of degraded land in Kalimantan alone that would be suitable for palm oil development. Forest monitoring - Estimates show that 57% of Indonesia’s deforestation is attributable to clearing for palm oil plantations, with another 20 percent comes from pulp and paper. The ability to rapidly pinpoint exactly when and where forest fires happened and determine who is responsible is unprecedented. These innovations help governments, companies, and civil society quickly and effectively measure and reduce deforestation. Legal and voluntary certifications is to effectively utilize various certification mechanisms and legal requirements that mandate sustainable practice. These standards include carefully constructed principles and criteria that guide commodity production and processing to a set of best practices, such as no-burning and no-deforestation on primary forest and peat lands. As a result of complying with these requirements, a product may be labeled as “certified” sustainable. Companies use these certification schemes to ensure that a product is made in a responsible way.
Now is 2013, 7 more years for us to make a difference. Not only the government responsible, every single citizens should do something to support and assist to achieve this goal. Why? Because this is for our life, for our planet. We can't stand still and wait, we have to start now.
- Degraded lands - WRI and its partners work to identify degraded lands suitable for palm oil production, using biophysical, economic, social, and legal criteria. We have piloted our research method in the island of Kalimantan, Indonesia. Our results indicate that there are potentially 14 million hectares of degraded land in Kalimantan alone that would be suitable for palm oil development. Forest monitoring - Estimates show that 57% of Indonesia’s deforestation is attributable to clearing for palm oil plantations, with another 20 percent comes from pulp and paper. The ability to rapidly pinpoint exactly when and where forest fires happened and determine who is responsible is unprecedented. These innovations help governments, companies, and civil society quickly and effectively measure and reduce deforestation. Legal and voluntary certifications is to effectively utilize various certification mechanisms and legal requirements that mandate sustainable practice. These standards include carefully constructed principles and criteria that guide commodity production and processing to a set of best practices, such as no-burning and no-deforestation on primary forest and peat lands. As a result of complying with these requirements, a product may be labeled as “certified” sustainable. Companies use these certification schemes to ensure that a product is made in a responsible way.
Now is 2013, 7 more years for us to make a difference. Not only the government responsible, every single citizens should do something to support and assist to achieve this goal. Why? Because this is for our life, for our planet. We can't stand still and wait, we have to start now.