UP has a clear commitment against deforestation as enshrined in several of our policies: ’No primary forest clearing policy (1990), ‘No HCV forest clearing policy (2005)’ and ‘High carbon stock assessment & land use change analysis for new plantings (2014)’. In addition, we are committed towards restoration or rehabilitation of non-compliant deforestation or HCV loss in our plantations and the similar commitment applies for our direct and indirect suppliers.

Whilst a certain portion of oil palm cultivation, just like all other agriculture, is a result of land use change,, it is incorrect to single out the oil palm industry as the lightning rod for the world’s growing anger on global warming and deforestation.

Globally, according to the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO), 13 million hectares of forests are cleared every year. Between 1990 to 2012, more than 320 million hectares of forests were cleared and converted into other uses such as commercial ranching, agriculture, town expansion as well as infrastructural projects amongst others. Oil palm areas increased by approximately 10million hectares in the same period accounting there by less than 3% of the deforested area in that period.

Indeed, things should be put in perspective and acknowledgement given to the fact palm oil is not the main cause of deforestation , but that ongoing initiative must be intensified to minimize the impact of not just agriculture but all activities but in one way or the other contribute to deforestation and global warming.

For evidence of monitoring on deforestation, please click here to view our Conservation Management Report.

High Conservation Value (HCV) Assessment

As a member of RSPO, UP is 100% committed to embrace and implement the sustainability concepts outlined in the RSPO Principles and Criteria (P&C). In line with the RSPO P&C as well as Indonesian laws, Social and Environmental Impact Assessments (SEIA) and HCV Assessment were conducted prior to commencing plantation development by UP.

UP has not only followed the recommendations of these assessments but expanded the scope to include much larger conservation areas than that stipulated in the SEIA and HCV assessments. To date more than 7,500Ha are set aside as conservation areas in line with the Company’s policy to maintain and manage the ecological integrity of the landscape in which UP operates its palm oil plantations, as well as to provide necessary habitat for endangered and critically endangered species that are found in or adjacent to UP properties.

We are committed to only engage HCV assessors who is accredited under High Conservation Value Resource Network (HCVRN) Assessor Licensing Scheme (ALS) since 1st January 2015. The similar commitment applies for our direct and indirect suppliers. The HCV assessment shall undergo satisfactory review by the ALS Quality Panel prior to any new land clearing after 1st January 2015.

GIS Database-Protection and Monitoring

Monitoring and managing biodiversity resources requires a comprehensive knowledge of baseline ecological conditions before commencing on agricultural development.

The BioD Team has setup of a comprehensive GIS-database with several hundred information layers (e.g. rivers/streams, topography, boundaries, channels, planted areas, soil composition, flow-direction, water sampling sites, conservation areas and many more).

The BioD GIS-database forms the backbone of all matters relating to stored information and data recording, analyses, monitoring biodiversity trends and ecological processes, research, patrolling and protection, RSPO environmental compliance, Indonesian environmental laws and legal disputes. This is, by far, the most phenomenal component of the BioD, and it is made an active asset to the entire PTSSS-group, because important information is available in digitized format that can be accessed immediately.

The UP/PTSSS GIS-database is built up around ESRI’s ArcGIS® software platform that is considered the World’s most powerful GIS-software.

                                            

The software handles every type of data-input, from NASA’s high resolution satellite images, to general orangutan observation way-points. Built into the BioD GIS-database is the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) that was developed by a conglomerate of international conservation agencies. The SMART system is the World’s preferred, most comprehensive and user-friendly conservation monitoring system. The added advantage of using SMART is its statistical power that allows the BioD to compile and develop trend-lines and other forms of analyses pertaining to managing and protecting conservation areas and species.

GIS-database monitoring system used actively in the biodiversity activities.