At the Oslo Climate and Forest Conference, the Indonesian and Norway
governments had signed a partnership agreement on Reducing Emissions
from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) with an immediate
two-year moratorium. The deal signed with Norway aimed at mitigating
greenhouse gas emissions earnings worth US$1 billion. President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono pledged that the two-year moratorium would not affect
the current palm oil industry, which means business as usual.REDD is a scheme that is regarded as the cheapest and most efficient ways in compromising obligatory deep cuts of emissions for industrialized countries such as Norway, yet acceptable under the principle of common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR).
What does business as usual mean? The palm oil industry is allowed to continue converting forest and peat at its already approved areas. The pulp ...