In a show of commitment to the environment, the company Asia Pulp and Paper signing the New York Declaration on Forests in Climate Summit UN to help fight climate change.
Representatives from over 125 countries came to New York in a bid to revive international efforts to fight climate change.
The "New York Declaration on Forests" is a commitment to international and multisectoral with an unprecedented level, the main idea of the declaration is to protect the world's forests and help fight climate change.
Group President of Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), Teguh Ganda Wijaya, has joined a number of companies, governments and NGOs to sign the statement at an event included in the Climate Summit UN 2014.
The commitment assumed by the signatories is to try to halt and reverse forest loss in the world, trying to work in turn with economic growth, reducing poverty, food security, and help with conservation biodiversity and climate resilience.
The statement notes that it is essential to reduce emissions from deforestation and increasing forest restoration to achieve addressing climate change.
The statement proposes that:
Working together, partners can achieve at least halve the rate of loss of natural forests worldwide by 2020, fighting to stop the loss of natural forests by 2030.
It also urges to restore 150 million hectares of degraded landscapes and forest land by 2020, and thereafter significantly increase the rate of global restoration, seeking to restore at least 200 million hectares by 2030.
Finally, emphasizes that the list of commitments is the collective goal of achieving emission reduction between 4,500 and 8,800 million tons per year by 2030.
The New York Declaration on Forests is an important milestone on the road to the COP 21 - Conference of the Parties on Climate Change UNFCCC 2015 United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris in December 2015 .
Asia Pulp and Paper has implemented assessments of areas with high carbon (HCS) and High Conservation Value (HCV) across their supply chain as part of their "Forest Conservation Policy (FCP)".
Renowned environmentalist Tony Juniper visited the facilities of APP to see how they carried out the assessments, and created a series of short videos that illustrate how the commitments described in the FCP are almost completed.
A great service to the planet
"The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, has done a great service to the planet and some of its most vulnerable ecosystems by convening this meeting of governments, leaders of global companies and NGOs. Companies can take the initiative to meet these commitments, but we must work closely with all stakeholders, including governments and non-governmental organizations, to really combat deforestation and climate change. One of the most effective ways is through the conservation of forests, planting trees and protecting the natural forest surrounding it, "said Teguh Ganda Wijaya, chairman of Asia Pulp and Paper.
"In APP we also believe that forestry products can help in this regard, because they retain carbon, are recyclable and, when they come from responsibly managed plantations, usually more sustainable than alternative products," the president APP.
Meanwhile, general director of sustainability of APP, Aida Greenbury added: "We have shown through our own policies of Zero Deforestation, companies operating in emerging economies can agree, implement and achieve the ambitious goal of protecting forests remaining in the world. In our opinion, if a company is involved at any point in the supply chain of forest, these policies should be implemented immediately. There is no time to lose. "
Asia Pulp and Paper announced its Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) and its commitment to zero deforestation in early 2013 and has been successful in its implementation over the past year and a half. In addition, earlier this year the company pledged to support the protection and restoration of a million hectares of rainforest in Indonesia, one of the most ambitious conservation commitments ever undertaken by a private company.
Sources:
Ambientum.com
La informacion.com
AGP.com
ONU
WWF - Centro América
