Number : S.299/HUMAS/PP/HMS.3/4/2016

Jakarta – Public Relations Office, 21 April 2016,The directive of President Jokowi that a moratorium be imposed on palm oil and mining has been immediately acted upon by the Minister of the Environment and Forestry. On Tuesday evening (19/04/2016), MoEF Minister Dr. Siti Nurbaya invited the Wali Nanggroe Aceh (Guardian of Aceh), Malik Mahmud AL Haytar, and Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah to discuss forestry issues in Aceh, especially in relation to the Leuser Ecosystem (KEL) and the Aceh Spatial Plan (RTRWA).

In her opening remarks, the MoEF Minister said that with respect to climate change, strategic areas such as the Leuser Ecosystem need to be managed with due regard to a variety of perspectives, including local, national, regional and global perspectives.

In a meeting that lasted more than four hours at the offices of the MoEF, the Minister outlined the demand of President Joko Widodo that a moratorium be imposed on palm oil and mining, which he announced at a National Plant and Animal Rescue Movement event in the Thousand Islands (14/04/2016).

The MoEF Minister said that the directive of President Joko Widodo for the imposition of a moratorium on palm oil and mining expansion demonstrates his real commitment, especially with regard to efforts to improve the productivity of the country’s own natural resources, and provides indisputable evidence of Indonesia's contribution to resolving climate change issues.

At the same occasion, the MoEF Minister, the Wali Nanggroe Aceh and the Aceh Governor declared an immediate moratorium on palm oil and mining in the Leuser Ecosystem and undertook to conduct a review of all palm oil and mining licenses operating in the Leuser Ecosystem. The review will look at the carrying capacity of the environment, the economic needs of communities, key wildlife habitats, and landuse allocations in the Leuser Ecosystem. During the review period, a temporary suspension on all land-clearing operations by palm oil and mining companies located in the Leuser Ecosystem will be put into effect. 

The meeting was facilitated technically by Greenomics Indonesia, especially in terms of providing technical views on various issues related to the protection of the Leuser Ecosystem, from both an on-the-ground and spatial perspective.

This working meeting on forestry in Aceh was also attended by Echelon 1 and 2 officials of the MoEF as well as officials from the Government of Aceh.

Press Release by :

Head of the Public Relations Office, MoEF, Novrizal, HP.0818432387