1. Do APP produce any pulp from natural forest wood?
Since September 2013, APP no longer accepts natural forest wood into our supply chain. 100% of our fibre supply is sourced from plantation wood and certified wood.
2. How much natural forest has been protected as a result of the FCP?
Following the comprehensive assessments of HCV and HCS across all supplier concessions, we have set aside 21% of our supplier concession land, totalling more than 600,000 hectares, for conservation.
3. What is High Carbon Stock (HCS)?
HCS areas are those where the land contains a high concentration of above ground organic matter, meaning it stores a large amount of above ground carbon. HCS areas are therefore extremely valuable in tackling climate change. The concept was first developed in agriculture industries, like the palm oil industry, where forested areas are converted into agricultural land resulting in a change in the amount of carbon per total area stored within that area.
4. What is the HCS process and what are the steps involved?
The HCS Approach is a methodology that distinguishes between forested areas that should be protected, from degraded lands with low carbon and biodiversity values. In the HCS Approach, satellite, LiDAR and field data are collected and combined to identify potential HCS areas. Thereafter, a Forest Patch Analysis decision tree is applied to determine if an area is designated as HCS.
5. Who carried out the independent HCS assessments?
The HCS assessments were carried out in partnership with the Earthworm Foundation.
6. What are High Conservation Values (HCV)?
The HCV approach was developed by the Forest Stewardship Council and is designed to maintain or enhance six environmental and social values in production landscapes. All natural habitats possess some inherent conservation value, such as the presence of rare or endemic species, sacred sites or resources harvested by local residents. HCV areas are defined as natural habitats where these values are considered to be of outstanding significance or critical importance.
7. What is the HCV process and what are the steps involved?
The HCV approach provides a systematic basis for identifying critical conservation values – both social and environmental – referred to as High Conservation Values (HCVs) and for planning ecosystem management in order to ensure that these HCVs are maintained or enhanced. There are 3 basic steps in the HCV process which are; identification, assessment and monitoring.
8. Is it the case that land can still be cleared if it does not meet High Conservation Value (HCV) or High Carbon Stock (HCS) criteria?
There are six classifications to the HCS method we are applying. In descending order of value, they are: high-density forest, medium density forest, low-density forest, young regenerating forest, scrub and open land. The HCS threshold is set so that scrub and open land can be developed.
9. For HCV 5 and 6 (community) approaches, what will be done by the company?
The primary strategy is the use of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) which engages local communities in the decision-making process about the utilisation of land. We also have robust grievance procedures through which communities can express any concerns they may have. For developed areas, our aim is to ensure that the HCVs are maintained or enhanced, and for communities to have access to those values.
10. Will APP continue to convert degraded or denuded land?
The terms ‘degraded’ and ‘denuded’ have previously been difficult to quantify and can mean different things to different stakeholders. To clarify, APP will only develop areas that are not forested, as identified through the company’s HCV and HCS studies.
11. What is the Integrated Sustainable Forest Management Plan (ISFMP)?
ISFMP process compiles recommendations and data gathered through the various assessments conducted –HCV, HCS, Social Impact, Peat Mapping, and Growth and Yield assessments – to form a management plan for each of our suppliers’ concessions. This process includes an extensive stakeholder consultation process to ensure that their concerns are taken into account in the ISFMP.
12. What is the outcome of rolling out the ISFMP to all 38 suppliers?
The ISFMP for the 38 suppliers were completed in 2016 and several have been approved by the Government of Indonesia. These plans have also been developed into manuals as a guideline for implementation. Based on the first version of the plans, the protected areas in APP’s suppliers’ concessions increased by 15 percent.