Site icon Conservation news

Norway’s billion dollar contribution to Indonesian forests excludes national reforestation scheme

Norway’s billion dollar contribution to forest and peatlands conservation in Indonesia will not fund reforestation of deforested areas, a government minister told The Jakarta Post.



Agus Purnomo, head of the secretariat of Indonesia’s National Climate Change Council, said that Norway has only agreed to support reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) programs, which promote conservation and sustainable forest management, rather than REDD+ programs, which include reforestation.



“The agreement is for REDD Plus programs, but there is no money for carbon ‘absorption’ enhancement through tree planting,” Agus told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.



In January, Indonesia announced it would plant up to 21 million hectares of trees to meet its 2020 emissions reductions targets. At the time, environmentalists expressed concern the scheme would focus on establishing commercial timber and oil palm plantations.



Wandojo Siswanto, the head of working group on the climate unit at the forestry ministry, told The Jakarta Post that Indonesia will seek to renegotiate the agreement with Norway.



“Indonesia needs money for tree planting,” he said, noting that deforestation is expected to reach 1.17 million hectares (2.9 million acres) in 2010.



Negotiators from Indonesia and Norway plan to meet next week.



CITATION: Adianto P. Simamora. Norway won’t fund RI tree planting program: Govt. THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA Mon, 05/31/2010








Related articles


Indonesia announces moratorium on granting new forest concessions

(05/28/2010) With one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, the world’s third largest greenhouse gas emissions due mostly to forest loss, and with a rich biodiversity that is fighting to survive amid large-scale habitat loss, Indonesia today announced a deal that may be the beginning of stopping forest loss in the Southeast Asian country. Indonesia announced a two year moratorium on granting new concessions of rainforest and peat forest for clearing in Oslo, Norway, however concessions already granted to companies will not be stopped. The announcement came as Indonesia received 1 billion US dollars from Norway to help the country stop deforestation.

Indonesia to revoke palm oil concession licenses under forest deal

(05/31/2010) Indonesia will revoke existing forestry licenses to cut down natural forests under the billion dollar deal climate deal signed with Norway last week, reports Reuters.

Norway to provide Indonesia with $1 billion to protect rainforests

(05/19/2010) Norway will provide up to $1 billion to Indonesia to help reduce deforestation and forest degradation, reports The Jakarta Post.

Indonesia to plant and restore vast area of forest to reach emissions target

(01/07/2010) Indonesia will rehabilitate degraded forests and plant millions of hectares of new forests to meet its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent from projected levels by 2020, reports Reuters.

Exit mobile version