Not in a long time that Indonesia could tout about its ability to reduce carbon emissions by 2020 to 26% with business as usual (BAU), and with the support of foreign countries could lower its emmisions up to 41%. One of the Indonesia’s progresses in fulfilling its promise is there is intervention by the Government to the forestry sector by reducing deforestation and degradation (REDD) and it is even strengthened by the signs of the seriousness in implementing the moratorium of forest and peatland.

Moratorium will be implemented in the beginning of this year and it will be strengthened by the issue of a presidential instruction which draft is currently in the polemic between the Ministry of Forestry and REDD Plus Task Force. In this week, the polemic between government institutions is apparent to the public eyes. And this is the indicator of the numerous problems (read: conflicts) of policy and authority substance in the forestry and natural resources sectors which are not easy to be immediately solved. This problem results from the lack of willingness of every institution in government to synergize the duties and authorities.

Moratorium is the dream of every supporter of the good forestry implementation (good forest governance) in Indonesia. Long before the emmerge of climate change mitigation implementation in the forestry sector (REDD / REDD Plus) civil community groups, local communities and indigenous communities have urged for moratorium of forest.  Moratorium of forest, from several previous records, must include suspension of logging according to species scarcity and functions of forest and suspension of forest conversion for non-forestry uses (agriculture, plantation and mining).

The urge of the supporters of good forestry 20 years ago seems to reach the gate of ‘fulfillment of dream’ when the Oslo Agreement between the Government of Indonesia and Norway included suspension (read: the moratorium) of forests in it. As if it was meant to be, the seriousness of the President in inisiating the REDD Plus Task Force led by Kuntoro Mangkusubroto is in line with the wishes of supporters of moratorium (NGOs, local and indigenous communities).  REDD Plus Task Force which involves all sectors is optimistic to immediately complete the preparation and implementation of REDD Plus and moratorium.

Despite strong pressure from those who do not agree with a moratorium on such blatant step palm entrepreneurs group some time ago that accused the moratorium is for the sake of foreign interests, polemic draft Presidential moratorium should be terminated immediately. In this case the Ministry of Forestry must submit a working solution through coordination of Task Force Instruction REDD Plus, because it is part of Task Force Kemenhut REDD Plus.

Terlepas adanya tekanan kuat dari pihak yang tidak sepakat dengan moratorium semisal langkah terang-terangan kelompok pengusaha kelapa sawit beberapa waktu lalu yang menuduh moratorium adalah demi kepentingan asing, polemik draft Inpres moratorium harus segera diakhiri. Dalam hal ini Kementerian Kehutanan harus menyerahkan penyelesaian Inpres melalui kerja koordinasi Satgas REDD Plus, karena Kemenhut merupakan bagian dalam Satgas REDD Plus.

Thwarting Scenario

Moratorium is the dream of the critical group (NGO activists in environment and natural resources field, local communities and indigenous). This dream for improving management of forest resources is not without reason. Evidences of conversion of forest to non-forestry uses (agriculture, plantation and mining) during the implementation of Indonesia’s development even more aggravate social and environmental conditions. The remaining forests in Indonesia are in conservation areas and protected areas which amount is not more than 25% of the total forest area of 134.7 million hectares.

Still fresh in public memory, the issue of the Minister of Agriculture Regulation No.14 of 2009 on Oil Palm Cultivation in Peat Swamp which has encouraged the provision of peat swamp areas for expansion of oil palm plantations covering an area of 6.7 million hectares. In line with the wishes for moratorium of peat swamp, this policy has never been revoked. The absence of revocation news of Minister of Agriculture Regulation No.14/2009 indicates that the processes of business license application for oil palm development on peat swamp at the field level are still being proceed. Up to now, there are approximately 4 million hectares area of oil palm plantations expansion on peat swamp in Sumatra and Kalimantan. And it is expected that oil palm plantation expansion due to this policy will reach 24 million hectares by 2020 in all regions of Indonesia.

The expansion (extensification) of oil palm plantations still becomes a choice of this agricultural sub-sector as the impact of Indonesia’s wish to remain as the world’s largest CPO (crude palm oil) exporter, surpassing Malaysia. Moreover, Indonesia has already controlled CPO markets in India and China. This desire does not likely discourage conversion of forest to oil palm plantations.

Referring to political pressure from oil palm entrepreneurs group against the moratorium, export projection and extensification of oil palm sub-sector, there are parties who want to intentionally slow down the implementation of moratorium even make it does not work effectively. Not wrong if appears the assumption that the Presidential Instruction draft is a part of the scenario to thwart the implementation of moratorium. Or let’s reflect to the role of the National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) whose roles are not much different from Task Force REDD Plus role (which is coordinating all sectors). DNPI was supported but then vanished without role after Indonesia hosted the 13^th UNFCCC-COP  in 2007.