Greenpeace sets up base in Indonesia rainforest to prevent climate destruction
Jakarta, 26 October 2009 – Greenpeace announced today that it has set up base in the heart of the Indonesian rainforest and will remain there for several weeks in order to bring urgent attention to the role that deforestation plays in driving dangerous climate change, a critical issue to be addressed at the UN Copenhagen Climate Summit in December.
This morning, 200 local people held a welcoming ceremony for Greenpeace activists at the ‘Climate Defenders’ Camp’, on the threatened Kampar Peninsula, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra (1).
The forest peat soils in Kampar are particularly deep and store some 2 billion tones of carbon (2). They form one of the largest natural carbon stores on the planet and a significant global defense against global climate change. (3)
Much of the forest that once surrounded the Peninsula has been destroyed to make way for plantations, largely for products like paper and palm oil, which are transported worldwide and used to make chocolate, toothpaste and so-called ‘climate-friendly’ biofuels.
“We are taking up position at the frontline of forest and climate destruction to tell world leaders that to avert climate chaos they must tackle deforestation here and now,” said Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace South East Asia forest campaigner, speaking from the heart of the rainforest.
“The imperative for global action to fight climate change demands the same commitment from developed countries. President Obama and EU leaders have only 6 weeks left to get serious about climate change by committing to much deeper cuts in emissions from both fossil fuels and from deforestation. This means investing the funds needed to end global forest destruction,” added Shailendra Yashwant Greenpeace Southeast Asia Campaign Director.
Ending global deforestation requires industrialized countries to invest €30 billion (42 billion USD) annually in forest protection, as well as a commitment from Indonesian President Yudhoyono to end the destruction of Indonesia’s forests and peatlands. Globally, a million hectares of forests are destroyed every month – an area the size of a football pitch every two seconds -- emitting so much CO2 that deforestation is one of the main causes of climate change.
Deforestation accounts for about a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. That means we will face mass species extinction, floods, droughts and famine in our lifetime unless we stop destroying forests in countries like Indonesia. Emissions from deforestation make Indonesia the world’s third worst climate polluter, after China and the US.
South East Asian leaders meeting at the 15th ASEAN Summit meeting in Thailand last weekend declared their commitment to a successful outcome in Copenhagen. Greenpeace is calling on EU Heads of State, who meet in Brussels on 29 and 30 October, to commit to agreeing a fair, ambitious and binding deal at the up coming UN Climate Summit. A successful outcome depends on their help to end deforestation and in order to do that they must put money on the table this week.
While a forest protection system is being set up, Greenpeace is also calling on President Yudhoyono to give the climate some breathing space by instigating an immediate moratorium on any further destruction of Indonesia’s rainforests or the carbon rich peat soils they grow on.
At recent UN climate talks in Bangkok, Yudhoyono pledged up to a 41 per cent reduction in Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions, pending the availability of international funds.
Contacts:
In Europe:
Belinda Fletcher, Greenpeace International forest campaigner: +44 (0)
7801 212 991
Matilda Bradshaw, Greenpeace International communications: +31 (0) 6 2900 1131
In Indonesia:
Bustar Maitar, Greenpeace Southeast Asia forest campaigner: +62 81344666135 Hikmat Soeritanuwijaya, Greenpeace Southeast Asia media campaigner:
+62 (0) 818930271
Images and video footage available:
Maarten van Rouveroy, Greenpeace International video producer, +31 (0) 646197322 John Novis, Greenpeace International head of photography, +44 (0) 7801 615 889
Notes to Editors:
(1) The Indonesian Forest Ministry has granted concessions to pulp and paper companies to destroy this area.
(2) Greenpeace calculation based on Wahyunto, S. Ritung dan H.
Subagjo (2003). Maps of Area of Peatland Distribution and Carbon Content in Sumatera, 1990 – 2002. Wetlands International - Indonesia Programme & Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC). See also: Kampar Peninsula as a peat swamp forest conservation priority Briefing for NGO use only by Otto Miettinen, 21 July, 2007 http://www.maanystavat.fi/april/resourcesforkampar2007/Miettinen2007longKamparPeninsula.pdf
(3) Fred Pearce 2007 Bog Barons, Indonesia’s carbon catastrophe New Scientist, 1 December 2007, issue 2632
For further information please see: http://www.greenpeace.org/climatedefenders
Background media briefing on Indonesia’s forests and climate change available at: www.greenpeace.org/rainforests-and-climate-change
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