KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia \u2013 Ten palm oil companies with the largest areas of burned land between 2015 and 2018 have received no serious civil or administrative sanctions, new Greenpeace Indonesia mapping analysis revealed. <\/span>Malaysian-owned Genting Group, via their subsidiary PT Globalindo Agung Lestari, was found to be among ten companies listed as having the largest burned areas on their land in Indonesia. Findings for palm oil plantations from 2015 to 2018:<\/span><\/p>\n\n Findings for pulp plantations:<\/span><\/p>\n\n Meanwhile as the Malaysian government continues mulling over the creation of a Trans-boundary Haze Act to punish Malaysian companies that cause haze in other countries, the forest fire crisis in Indonesia is still ongoing.<\/span> The World Bank estimates that the 2015 fire crisis cost Indonesia USD16 billion, resulting in losses in forestry, agriculture, tourism and other industries.[8] Additionally, the haze from the fires caused respiratory and other illnesses in hundreds of thousands of people across the region and, according to one study, likely led to over 100,000 premature deaths.[9] Along with the haze an estimated 11.3 million tonnes of carbon per day were released into the atmosphere, higher than the emissions rate of the whole European Union.[10]<\/span> Notes<\/b><\/p>\n\n [1] The full analysis is available <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n [2] Greenpeace mapping analysis of official burnscar data from Indonesian Ministry of Forestry and Environment. Burned area totalled 2,604,500 ha in 2015; 436,500 ha in 2016; 164,100 ha in 2017; and 528,000 ha in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n\n [3] While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the concession data is accurate, there are many different concession data sources and a lack of government and company transparency means that there may be some inaccuracies. Burn scar figures have been rounded up or down to account for this issue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n [4] \u2018Law enforcement must be strictly carried out, whether administrative, civil or criminal\u2026 This must be done in order to create a legal certainty and in order to fulfill a sense of justice for communities.\u2019 President Joko Widodo, 12 August 2016. See p.4 <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n [5] The ten palm oil companies are listed in the second table of the Greenpeace Indonesia <\/span>analysis<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n [6] <\/span>\u2018Indonesia says some forest fires started on Malaysian-controlled land\u2019<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n [7] See \u2018<\/span>Indonesia land-burning fines unpaid years after fires<\/span><\/a>\u2019 and \u2018<\/span>11 perusahaan perusak lingkungan rugikan negara Rp18 triliun<\/span><\/a>\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n\n [8] \u2018<\/span>\u2018The cost of fire : an economic analysis of Indonesia\u2019s 2015 fire crisis\u2019 <\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n
However, the Indonesian government has not revoked a single palm oil licence due to these forest fires, nor has it given any other serious sanctions to these ten companies.<\/span>
During the same period, the pulp sector also largely escaped serious government sanctions despite repeated fires across massive areas of land. [1] This year, fire hot spots have been recorded in many of these same palm oil and pulp concessions.<\/span>
Greenpeace Indonesia analysis used official government \u2018burn scar\u2019 data, which showed that more than 3.4 million hectares of land burned between 2015 and 2018.[2] This data was then compared to the best available concession data [3] on palm oil and pulp companies as well as administrative and civil law sanctions against companies, which were compiled through Freedom of Information requests and official government reports.<\/span>
The findings from the analysis contrast sharply with the Indonesian government\u2019s claims of being tough on fires and law enforcement [4], at a time when fires are impacting millions of Indonesians. The haze from the forest and land fires have also reached neighbouring countries in the last two weeks.<\/span>
\u201cStopping this recurring fire crisis should have been at the top of the government\u2019s agenda since 2015. But our findings show the reality: empty words and weak and inconsistent law enforcement against companies. President Jokowi and his ministers must immediately remove licenses from companies with fires on their land,\u201d said Kiki Taufik, Global Head of Greenpeace\u2019s Indonesia forests campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n
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\u201cTackling forest fires is not only Indonesia’s responsibility alone. Both the Malaysian and Indonesia governments need to look at where the fires are burning, why, and who is behind them to hold the main culprits behind the fires accountable; especially now that haze from Indonesia forest fires are spreading beyond the country’s boundaries, including Malaysia.\u201d said Greenpeace Malaysia Campaigner Heng Kiah Chun.<\/span>
In 2014, ASEAN leaders failed to come up with the strong implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, which led to the prolonged and severe haze season in some regions in Southeast Asia. One of the reasons is lack of transparency among countries and conflict of interest.<\/span>
\u201cThis time, ASEAN members must cooperate with the government of Indonesia to tackle this problem once and for all and work together, taking effective action to implement a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to hold reckless companies accountable,\u201d said Heng.<\/span>
Other Malaysian palm oil companies involved in forest fires, as identified by the Indonesian government last week, includes subsidiaries of IOI Corporation Bhd, Sime Darby Plantations,\u00a0 Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK), and TDM Berhad.[6]<\/span>
A Greenpeace Indonesia investigation earlier this year showed that none of the companies taken to civil court by the government for their role in forest fires and illegal logging have paid compensation. The total amount of money owed is more than USD1.2 billion.[7]<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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