Publication

In late 2009, Indonesia made a voluntary commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26% by 2020, or by 41% with international assistance, compared to business as usual. The country aims to achieve 87% of this goal by reducing emissions from deforestation and peat land conversion. In a step towards achieving these emission reductions, on May 20, 2011 Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a decree putting into effect a two-year moratorium on issuing new permits for use of primary natural forest and peat land.

Though not all of these forests would be cut down in the absence of the moratorium, the decree does provide additional protection. Indonesia’s forest moratorium could be an important contribution to climate compatible development, and is a policy for other forest-rich countries to watch. The authors of this new CDKN ‘Inside Story on Climate Compatible Development’, Kemen Austin, Rauf Prasodjo and Fred Stolle of World Resources Institute identify the key findings on Indonesia’s forest moratorium.