Message From Founders
Tan Ui Sian
Representative Director, Chairman
APP JAPAN LTD.
Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) Sinarmas is a group of comprehensive paper manufacturers based in Indonesia. Since its founding in 1972, the company has continued to expand its business and is now selling its products in 120 countries around the world.
Amid this trend toward globalization, I came to Japan in 1996. We have been doing business for more than 20 years by grace of the support of many people including our valued customers.
APP Sinarmas announced its Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) in 2013 and pledged to Zero Deforestation in the supply chain. Since then, we have been implementing sustainable forest management in extensive plantations and cultivated and harvested trees that are the raw materials for paper as if you harvest crops in the fields. This enabled us to realize circular material procurement which do not pos a burden on the natural environment.
On the other hand, Indonesia has a problem of deforestation. Every year in the dry season, forest fires caused mainly by abnormal dryness due to climate change occur, and many valuable forests are being lost. This is not just an issue for Indonesia. The wealth of forests is being lost in fires in Amazon, Australia, the United States, Europe, Africa, and even in Japan.
Forests absorb carbon dioxide, which is a cause of global warming, and emit oxygen. Restoration of such forest can be the most effective action to mitigate climate change. APP Sinarmas, based in Indonesia, can build a platform for the forest restoration.
As an Indonesian who works in Japan, and as a member of APP Sinarmas, which is committed to responsible business, I would like to connect Indonesia and Japan to restore the precious rich forests. With this in mind, I launched this "Forest Restoration Project, SDGs Together!" in 2020 in collaboration with Belantara, a foundation for environment protection.
This project has already received broad support from many people, and the forest restoration is progressing steadily. It takes a lot of time and efforts for forest restoration, but I believe that if we plant seedlings one by one, as is currently being done on the ground, we will eventually be able to regain the precious forests.
We are not perfect. There were some failures in the past, but we were able to learn a lot from that experience. We have a responsibility to make use of our past experiences to the present, and furthermore, to lead to a better future. Let's grow our future, aiming for a day when everyone can live with a smile, leaving no one behind based on the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals.
We will continue to make further efforts to grow our "Forest Restoration Project" to a more trusted platform.
August 2021
Tan Ui Sian
Representative Director, Chairman
APP JAPAN LTD.
Dr. Dolly Priatna
Executive Director
Belantara Foundation
Currently, ecosystem restoration is a crucial global issue. The United Nations General Assembly has declared the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to stop ecosystem degradation and restore the ecosystem to achieve global goals, from 2021 to 2030. Ecosystem restoration is considered an effective measure to mitigate climate change, improve food security, maintain water supply, and protect biodiversity.
Ecosystem restoration will affect environmental qualities, including air quality, water system, trees, soil, wildlife habitat, and human population. Restoration can also restore ecosystem's ecological function and microclimate. Successful ecosystem restoration will prevent or reduce environmental damage risks, such as erosion, landslide, water source pollution, falling land water surface, forest fires, air pollution, and so on.
In addition, ecosystem restoration will also impacting the social-economic dimension. Ecosystem restoration will not only restore ecological function but also the forest’s function as a sustainable source of livelihood for the community. With effective management, ecosystem restoration can support forest function and providing environmental, social, as well as economic benefits for the people.
The Government of Indonesia has demonstrated a serious commitment on ecosystem restoration, through various regulations related to ecosystem restoration as well as implementation on the ground. One of them is the Minister of Forestry Regulation No. SK.159/Menhut-II/2004 on Restoration in the Production Forest Area (Permit to Utilize Timber that prioritizes Ecosystem Restoration, or IUPHHK Restorasi Ekosistem) to encourage private sector participation in restoring degraded ecosystems.
Therefore, Belantara Foundation, in collaboration with APP JAPAN LTD. and other stakeholders, initiated a program called the Forest Restoration Project: ~SDGs Together!~. the Forest Restoration Project: ~SDGs Together!~ is a project to donate some of the proceeds from selling products made by Indonesia’s paper producer, APP (including several products from APP China factory), to Belantara Foundation in order to plant rare tree species seeds in Indonesia’s forests, which was damaged by illegal activities and forest fires. The donation began in August 2020.
Our ecosystem restoration project is in Giam Siak Kecil Bukit Batu landscape, within and near the Biosphere Reserve of Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu, Riau. We are focusing our activities on planting trees, maintenance, and sustainable protection at the restoration project area.
Currently, the Forest Restoration Project: ~SDGs Together!~ has been ongoing over two years. Within the last two years, we have planted 45 ha of native tree saplings, installed project sign board, established nurseries, provided capacity building for the community, and conducted monitoring and evaluation.
The collaboration between Belantara and APP JAPAN LTD., supported by APP Japan’s customers and stakeholders, is an alternative funding mechanism that serves as mutually beneficial cooperation.
This project also directly supporting the SDGs Targets, such as Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13 Climate Action, Goal 15 Live on Land, and Goal 17 Partnership for the Goals.
We extend our largest gratitude to APP JAPAN LTD. for their trust and honor given to Belantara Foundation to implement the ecosystem restoration program in the Giam Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu landscape, Riau.
And finally, we extend our invitation to other companies and stakeholders to collaborate in achieving a sustainable landscape for a prosperous and harmonious community.
Jakarta,
29 November 2022
Dr. Dolly Priatna,
Executive Director
Belantara Foundation
