Major steps forward have been made for the RGE’s Sustainability Framework with APRIL Group’s new SFMP 2.0 policy for promoting sustainable forest management.
This new policy is a clear improvement over the previous SFMP 1.0, the group promising that it will lead to the complete elimination of deforestation from its supply chain and a better approach toward using responsible practices to improve business growth.
A Step Forward for Sustainability
Through the new Sustainable Forest Management Policy, APRIL announces that its future operations will prevent any type of new development from taking place in forest areas and peatland.
An even more significant advantage of the new policy is the addition of High Carbon Stock (HCS) assessment and a strong commitment to landscape conservation that will ensure APRIL’s conservation areas will grow to the same size as its 480,000 hectares of plantation space.
Peatland management tasks will also be improved through the establishment of the PEWG (Peat Expert Working Group; aside from better cooperation with NGOs, the policy also condones a more active involvement in the Group’s work for ensuring job creation, improved access to education and poverty alleviation activities.
Improvements over SFMP 1.0
The aim of the SFMP 1.0 – APRIL’s previous policy on forest management – was to have at least one hectare of conservation for each plantation hectare. While this goal was achieved in proportion of 70%, APRIL also seeks to combine balanced production with its conservation goals to obtain more sustainable results.
These results are geared toward improving the company’s relationship with its customers, while working towards improved economic benefits for Indonesia as a whole and a closer bond with key stakeholders.
The signing of SFMP 2.0 shows how the group’s lasting commitment to eliminating deforestation in the past 15 years has paid off, and marks a point in APRIL’s development when the company is ready to take its activities to the next level.
The Impact of the Policy
The policy has been received extremely well by stakeholders, with Joe Lawson, APRIL’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee’s Chairman stating that SFMP 2.0 represents a significant progress in the company’s ability to stay on target with its previous policy commitments.
Most NGOs have also welcomed the change, pointing out that the policy is a big step forward to protecting the entirety of Indonesia’s forests, as well as a beacon of hope for inspiring other plantation companies to adopt sustainable practices.
SFMP 2.0 is fully in line with the RGE Group’s 3 Cs philosophy, created by Chairman Sukanto Tanoto, which shows the importance of improving not only the Company, but the Community and Country it operates in as well.