Show Us the Green to Get Green, Business Says During Asia Pacific Rainforest Summit
Jakarta. As academics, farmers, lawmakers and entrepreneurs meet at the Asia Pacific Rainforest Partnership Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, private sector businesses suggest the future of rainforest conservation depends on financing and supportive regulations.
Private sector businesses, represented by the Asia Pacific Rainforest Recovery Plan Private Sector Roundtable, joined forces to create pilot conservation projects and policy recommendations for public-private engagement towards protection of rainforests and improvement of the lives of people within their vicinity.
According to roundtable representatives, if preservation of rainforests project is adopted throughout Asia Pacific it will cut down carbon dioxide emission by 20 tons per year and would become a sustainable model of green growth — rainforests play a crucial role in food security, people's livelihoods and climate change. The only limitations are posed by finances and regulations.
"The work of the roundtable, over just a short six months of collaboration, shows that the private sector is already taking a leadership role and is ready to act quickly in tackling issues around climate change and deforestation. Which is paving the way for even greater collaboration between governments, companies and civil society, and the possibility ingof develop a new financing model to leverage existing efforts being undertaken by the private sector," Australia's Minister of Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg said at the Asia Pacific Rainforest Summit on Wednesday (03/08).
With the pilot projects and new business models, the roundtable members hope to convey a strong message of making low carbon development possible across the Asia Pacific region.
"Forest protection, restoration and sustainable development require collaboration to innovate and create new business models and crucially, ensure that the stewards of the land — smallholders — are involved and benefit directly from these projects," managing director at Asia Pulp and Paper Group and chairwoman of the Private Sector Roundtable, Aida Greenbury, said during the summit.
Greenbury stated there are four key challenges in Asia Pacific's deforestation issue: incentives for businesses, monitoring project progress, leveraging the role of the private sector, organizing financial mechanisms allowing fair trade for smallholders and stakeholders of the forests.
The Asia Pacific Rainforest Recovery Plan Private Sector Roundtable brings together international conglomerates such as Asia Pulp and Paper, Wilmar, Credit Suisse, Qantas, BP, Sime Darby, Rimba Makmur Utama, New Forests, Baker and Mckenzie, Simmonds Lumber, Ernst and Young, KPMG, Cargill, BHPBiliton, Musim Mas, IDH, Olam, ASKLUL Corporation, and Golden Agri Resources.
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