Deforestation in Southeast Asia: Is ‘unprecedented pledge’ a genuine gamechanger?
On November 2nd, 120 world leaders declared their commitment to end deforestation by 2030, promising to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation. The agreement also came with the commitment of $19 billion in public and private funds. The list of signatories notably includes Brazil, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, three of the world's most forested countries. The 141 nations backing the pledge make up 85% percent of the world’s forests. This declaration will likely lead to policy reforms in the agricultural sector, and shake up investment flows to developing countries, with heightened support towards the protection of forests and of indigenous rights.
The pledge presents an opportunity for Southeast Asia in particular. The region has one of the highest deforestation rates globally, losing 14.5% of its forests over the last five years. This forest loss is caused largely by commodities driven deforestation, in particular palm oil. As one of the region’s biggest exports, if the pledge were to be binding it would likely be to the significant detriment of regional economies. Indonesia has already faced backlash for seemingly backtracking on their commitment to the pledge, as country officials call it an unfair and inappropriate demand. Foreign minister, Siti Nurbaya Barka, spoke to an audience in Glasgow, saying the pledge “shouldn’t be interpreted as zero deforestation”. This has concerned many environmentalists, as it calls into question the genuine participation of one of the world largest greenhouse gas emitters towards this pledge.
Despite being labelled “unprecedented” by UK prime minister Boris Johnson, if not delivered upon the pledge will merely resemble past non-binding agreements whose conditions have yet to be met. Despite Indonesia’s apparent wavering however, a spokesperson for Boris Johnson has said that Indonesia’s statements do not actually contradict the global pledge, remarking that their need to continue legal logging and agriculture to support the economy “would be consistent with the pledge”. He clarifies “what countries have committed to is to end net deforestation, ensuring that any forest loss is replaced sustainably”. This controversy perhaps highlights the issue with these pledges themselves, expecting significant yet undefined progress by arbitrary dates at the expense of local industry. While the end goal of sustainable industry is necessary and respectable, the support of more developed nations, especially financially, is paramount to ensure this pledge is not merely an aspirational statement that affects little change.