Open Letter to the Climate Action Network from Deforestation Watch.org

Climate change is one of the biggest threatsPapers. Greenpeace Netherlands in a paper entitled
facing mankind since the last ice age. Naturally,"The Dutch Economic Contribution to Worldwide
many well meaning NGO's have grouped togetherDeforestation and Forest Degradation" puts forth
to promote action plans that can help mankindthe rather convoluted argument that "in the
avert this impending disaster. One notable groupingperiod 1996 - 2000 Dutch economic activities
is the Climate Action Network (CAN).contributed annually to about 14,000 ha of
The CAN is a worldwide network of over 365deforestation in Indonesia, compared to an annual
Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs), such ascontribution of about 12,000 ha in the period 2001
Friends of the Earth and others, working to- 2005. The decline took place in spite of
promote government and individual action to limitincreasing palm oil and pulp imports from
human-induced climate change to ecologicallyIndonesia, but because the increase of palm oil
sustainable levels.and pulp plantations has been less in this second
Your members work to "achieve this goal throughperiod." Jumping through verbal hoops, the paper
the coordination of information exchange andthen sought to show that in Malaysia "there are
NGO strategy on international, regional and nationalindications that deforestation has been strongest
climate issues." CAN has seven regional officesin the period of 1996- 2000 when the initial palm
which co-ordinate these efforts in Africa, Centraloil boom took place." What the Paper fails to
and Eastern Europe, Europe, Latin America, Northhighlight is that deforestation has moderated in
America, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.Malaysia somewhat in the last five years (from
In your mission statement, you claim that your2001-2005) despite the palm oil boom continuing
members place a high priority on both a healthyunabated in that country!
environment and development that "meets theThe World Rainforest Movement in a recent
needs of the present without compromising thepaper curiously entitled "Oil Palm: From Cosmetics
ability of future generations to meet their ownto Biodiesel - Colonization Lives On" seeks to paint
needs" (Brundtland Commission). Climate Actiona picture of indiscriminate clearing of forest land in
Network's vision is to "protect the atmosphereIndonesia. Says the paper: "In Indonesia, nearly
while allowing for sustainable and equitableseven million hectares of forest had been
development worldwide."approved for conversion to estate crop
You also promote "a parallel three track approachplantations by the end of 1997, and this land has
to mitigating climate change which includes aalmost certainly been cleared. But the area
Kyoto track, a 'Greening' (decarbonisation) track,actually converted to oil palm plantations since
and an Adaptation track. The goal of this1985 is about 2.6 million hectares", destined for
approach is to facilitate action that will preventexport to feed the palm oil industries."
harmful climate change and keep global warmingWhat is most disconcerting is the Rainforest
as far below 2°C as possible."Movement's confession of sort: "Indonesia has
All very good and commendable! Yet, how do you10% of the world's remaining tropical forests
reconcile it when some of your members, suchwhich are home to over 20,000 plant species -
as Friends of the Earth, Wetlands et al, use theiraccounting for 10% of the planet's total -, 12% of
resources to attack a carbon neutral industrythe world's mammal species and 17% of bird
such as palm oil cultivation in a developing countryspecies, many of which are unique. The magnitude
such as Malaysia.of this lush biodiversity can be pictured by the
Let us draw your attention to the activities ofdata that 25 acres of Borneo's rainforest were
another responsible environmental action group,found to contain 700 tree species, equal to the
the International Carbon Action Partnership.total number of species for the whole of North
The International Carbon Action Partnership wasAmerica." The confession? Indonesia is still rich in
formed by senior officials from the EU, 3 USdiversity and it is in the United States where
States, Canada, Norway and New Zealand inbio-diversity is under serious threat!
Lisbon to fight climate change by building a globalScraping the bottom of the barrel against
carbon market.Malaysia, the Paper attempts to paint a picture of
This brave and innovative scheme aims to addindiscriminate clearing of traditional lands thus
momentum towards low carbon economies bydepriving the local indigenous tribes of their
grouping countries and regions that cap and tradecustomary land. The paper describes a march on
environmentally damaging CO2 emissions. Thethe office of the Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah
IACP intends to push for a worldwideby a coalition of indigenous tribes:
marketplace that will allow cross-border trading in"Representatives of the Murut, the Kadazandusun,
permits that are bought and sold like commodities.and the Rungus, and some 30 more tribes coming
Under the scheme, local authorities place an annualfrom the remote region of Tongod, traversed in
ceiling on CO2 emissions and issue "pollutionJuly of this year northern Borneo to reach the
permits" to companies, which can then buy andgleaming office of Sabah's Deputy Chief Minister
sell them.of Land, Datuk Lajim Haji Ukin at the capital city
British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who signedof Kota Kinabalu." Then the giveaway: "With the
his country to the IACP said that the NGO is aassistance of community support organizations,
"significant step forward" for the creation of aWilster and others from Tongod are now trying a
global carbon trading system that will benew strategy - they've filed a court case against
"fundamental in arresting and reversing climatethe State and two plantation companies: Hup Seng
change."Consolidated Berhad and Asiatic Development
In publishing data on CO2 Emissions per capitaBerhad. The case is the first deliberate test of
however, some interesting facts have emerged.Sabah's land tenure laws with regards to
Asia posted the second lowest emissions perindigenous peoples." In a land where indigenous
capita of only 1.3 just above Africa (0.9) andpeople can file suit in court surely lays to waste
below Latin America (2.1). Surprisingly, China whichthe claims that such tribes are being deprived of
has often been touted as the second worsttheir customary land with impunity!
polluter after the USA, posted a low reading ofWhat these papers tries to conceal (which is
3.9 vis a vis Canada (17.0), Australia (18.4) whilstobviously un-concealable) is that palm oil is largely
the USA posted a staggering reading of 19.6.grown in Asia, Africa and Latin America, all 3 of
This calls the lie on the many claims made bywhich are continents with the LOWEST emission
such diverse organizations such as Greenpeacedata per Capita of any place in the world!
Netherlands and the World Rainforest MovementDeforestation Watch takes the view that such
who've made the rather tenuous claim that palmunwarranted and unjustified attacks against a
oil is responsible for the destruction of rainforestcommodity that is contributing to uplifting the
which makes it a major contributor to climateeconomic and social wellbeing of the peoples in the
change! Deforestation Watch is perturbed by thispalm oil belt can hardly be described as
development as any wild and unsubstantiated"colonization". Rather than colonization, the growing
position papers such as these can only damageof palm oil actually serves to liberate economically
our cause in the long run as it will ultimatelyand uplift the peoples of the lands in which palm oil
destroy the credibility of our movement!is cultivated!
Let's take a look at the two offending Position