REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Greenpeace Indonesia has lauded the government's plan to implement a moratorium on the issuance of new permits for palm oil plantations, affirming that the policy would protect the remaining forests from conversion and fires.

The move to end the expansion of palm oil plantations should protect all remaining forests, including those within concession areas, Greenpeace's Global Head of Indonesia Forest Campaign, Kiki Taufik, noted in a statement, Wednesday.

Greenpeace also hopes President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will issue a regulation on his plan to implement a mining moratorium.

"The president said yesterday that the increase in productivity implied that no new land would be needed for palm oil plantations. He is absolutely correct. Instead of expanding into forests, palm oil companies and their customers must share their expertise and provide assistance to small farmers to increase their palm oil yield and ensure a sustainable livelihood for the Indonesian farming communities," Kiki explained.

In the meantime, commenting on Indonesian President Jokowi's announcement to halt the expansion of palm oil plantation and mining areas, country director of Greenpeace Indonesia Longgena Ginting stated that there was a dire need to protect the country's rapidly vanishing forest cover, a fact the president had recognized by announcing his plans to issue a moratorium.

Improving transparency on forest data, including of mining, palm oil, and pulpwood concessions, is a crucial prerequisite to implementing and monitoring the president's plan, he noted in a statement earlier.

Greenpeace looks forward to the publication of this data, which has been kept from the public for too long, he emphasized.

"A ban on further mining and palm oil plantation concessions is a welcome pledge. However, Greenpeace has calculated that 10 million hectares of forests are currently marked for clearance for existing palm oil, pulp, and mining concessions. The president needs to urgently implement measures to permanently protect the forests and peatland areas wherever possible," he affirmed.

Hindun Mulaika, Climate and Energy Campaigner for Greenpeace Indonesia, expressed hope that President Jokowi's announcement for a moratorium on mining permits would be implemented urgently via a legally binding presidential regulation.

"The reclamation of mining areas will never be able to restore the lost biodiversity. The incalculable impact of coal mining through the loss of productive agricultural land, the degradation in the water quality of rivers, and water scarcity can have dire consequences on the local residents," Hindun added.

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