Indonesian paper company sponsors UN biosphere

APP locks up forest holdings in world first private company initiated UNESCO project.

Keen to combat international perceptions of irresponsible environmental practices, the giant AAP has partnered with one of its timber suppliers, Sinarma Forestry, to propose a UN certified biosphere in Riau, Indonesia. The 178,000 hectare reserve, which is home to a number of endangered species, is one of 22 biosphere locations in 17 countries to receive UN approval. It is also the first to be proposed by a private company.

“This is the first time in Indonesia, or globally, that a private company has proposed the creation of a biosphere reserve,” said Endang Sukara, chief of the national committee of the Man and Biosphere Program for Indonesia. “We are hoping the initiative will be sustained and become a role model for other companies and encourage them to become more involved with biodiversity conservation.”

The Giam Siak Kecil – Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve (GSK-BB), is home to a wide variety of animals including the Sumatran tiger, elephant, tapir, and sun bear. The reserve is the seventh in Indonesia, and the first approved in over 20 years. The GSK-BB Biosphere was initially proposed by APP and SMF in 2004, when SMF and its partners set aside 72,255 hectares of their production forest as a permanent conservation area.

SMF, which is APP’s exclusive pulpwood supplier, will continue to work a 222,425 hectare buffer zone around the biosphere reserve as a production forest. The partners claim the buffer zone will have a key role in ensuring the protection of the core conservation area. The outmost region of the GSK-BB Biosphere Reserve is a 304,123 hectare transition area, which will be turned into a collaborative sustainable development region with plantations, agriculture, fishing, farming and community settlement.

The success of the Biosphere is important to APP in its long campaign against what it considers to be unfair and biased criticism by such conservation organisations as the Australian Orang-utan Project and World Wildlife Fund. It claims it is an easy target for conservation groups who ignore its efforts to operate sustainably.

Earlier this year Australian Customs found APP was dumping Indonesian and Chinese tissue paper and banned its importation. The finding is subject to an appeal.

Currently some European paper merchants are refusing to stock APP products because of its environmental record.