Down to Zero

To mark this occasion, we are launching 'Down to Zero'. This is the extraordinary story of what you and millions of other people have helped us achieve for Indonesia's forests and wildlife in just one short decade.

In 2003, Indonesia's rainforests were disappearing faster than any other forest on earth. Powerful, family-controlled businesses were destroying an area of rainforest the size of Belgium every year to make cheap paper, packaging, palm oil and timber.

In the last ten years, you have been with us on every step of this journey: stopping ships carrying illegal timber, blocking the drainage canals that destroy Indonesia's peatlands, confronting government ministers, putting pressure on corporations until they change their ways, supporting community reforestation programmes as well as local environmental and social groups.

Earlier this month, Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, came aboard the Rainbow Warrior to vocalize his support for our work just three years after the ship had been denied entry to Indonesian waters: "I would like to express my gratitude to Greenpeace for having made these efforts to save the environment of Indonesia and the rest of the world … I want to guarantee my grandchildren a clean and peaceful environment in the future."

Our journey's not over – there is still a long way to go if we are to ensure Indonesia's forests are protected. But what a long way we have come.

Together, we have made some incredible progress. Below are some highlights.

Investigating the international trade in illegal Indonesian timber

Results:

• Changing the law internationally
  Trade legislation in key consumer markets now makes it illegal to trade illegal timber because of pressure from Greenpeace and numerous other NGOs. Companies operating in these markets are now required to know – and be able to prove – exactly where their wood comes from. They must do everything they can to make sure that they do not buy illegal timber.
  
  
• Cleaning up government procurement
  UK and EU governments have tightened procurement policies following Greenpeace exposés of their use of Indonesian plywood from illegal and destructive operations.
  
  
• Cleaning up the trade
  Numerous timber merchants stopped sourcing from certain high-risk companies as a result of Greenpeace consumer campaigns.

Exposing how international trade in palm oil drives the destruction of Indonesia's forests and peatlands

Results:

• Cleaning up the industry
  On 9 February 2011, the world's second largest palm oil producer, the Sinar Mas group's subsidiary Golden Agri-Resources, announced a new forest conservation policy following a three-year campaign by Greenpeace. The company agreed to stop clearing forests and developing peatlands for oil palm plantations.
  
  
• Cleaning up the trade
  Many household brands adopted policies that exclude products linked to deforestation from their supply chains following Greenpeace consumer campaigns. Many have committed to buy exclusively from members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). Unilever and Nestlé – two of the world's largest palm oil consumers – went further and introduced stronger policies to clean up their supply chains.

Documenting how the Indonesian government's climate and development policy places millions of hectares of Indonesian rainforest at risk

Results:

• Stopping the destruction
  2011: A two-year moratorium on new forest concession allocations was put in place and then renewed in 2013 for an additional two years.

Taking action to stop international trade in pulp and paper driving the destruction of Indonesia's forests and peatlands

Results:

• Clean up the trade
  2008-2013: More than 130 companies cancelled contracts with Sinar Mas group subsidiary, Asia Pulp & Paper, and implemented policies to ensure their supply chains are free from deforestation as a result of campaigns by Greenpeace and other NGOs.
  
  
• Stop the destruction
  March 2013: The APP forest conservation policy committed to end its role in deforestation.

Our actions have protected rainforest. They also show that economic development must not come at the expense of Indonesia's people or wildlife.

And with your support we can continue our work to end deforestation.