Statement on ‘Deforestation Anonymous’ Report
On 18 March 2024, a group of NGOs published a report titled: Deforestation Anonymous: Rainforest destruction and social conflict driven by PT Mayawana Persada in Indonesian Borneo.
The unverified report repeats claims of links between RGE and a fibre supplier, PT Mayawana Persada, and other entities. These are said to be in contravention of our Group and Business Groups’ sustainability commitments.
RGE’s unequivocal refutation of these various claims is included as an appendix to the report. We would like to restate this once more in relation to the report’s central claims:
- RGE categorically refutes the existence of any ownership or form of control between RGE and its shareholders and PT Mayawana Persada. This absence of any form of association also holds true between RGE and its shareholders and PT Phoenix Resources International.
- Current and future fibre supply to APRIL will be mainly sourced from its own and suppliers’ concession where any increased fibre supply needs will be met from productivity gains driven by significant investments in R&D and best practice silviculture.
- All fibre supply to APRIL, including third party sourcing, is and will be in accordance with APRIL’s Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0 which explicitly commits the company to no deforestation in our supply chain from any sources.
- Similarly, the claimed addition of 96,000 hectares to APRIL’s plantation footprint to meet future production needs is not factual. The report is silent on the source of these claims or any independent expert scrutiny of its analysis.
- RGE’s and APRIL’s Sustainability Policies do not supersede or negate any of the earlier commitments made in the RGE Forestry, Fibre, Pulp & Paper Sustainability Framework and in APRIL’s Sustainable Forest Management Policy, including the deforestation cut-off date of June 2015.
As a global, leading resource-based group of companies, RGE over the years has been steadily strengthening its commitment to business sustainability. With the Business Groups’ 2030 sustainability agenda, RGE continues to strive to deliver a positive impact on climate, nature and people. We operate our business to global and national regulatory, market and industry standards.
This commitment is clearly demonstrated by our Group wide 2030 commitments, our verification, monitoring and reporting, our partnerships and collaborations, our unprecedented investments in nature and biodiversity, and the linking of billions of dollars of capital with sustainability KPIs.
Moving forward, RGE remains firmly invested in a transformation to position the Group as a leading contributor to the emerging global bioeconomy.
For any questions regarding the claims in this report regarding RGE or APRIL, please contact the following:
John Morgan, Head of Group Corporate Communications, RGE – john_morgan@rgei.com
Anita Bernardus, Head of Communications, APRIL Group – anita_bernardus@aprilasia.com
