August 2010: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has published a report titled “Reducing Forestry Emissions in Indonesia,” which stresses that forest conversion must cease for Indonesia to achieve emissions reductions through forestry, since expanding plantations alone will not suffice.

Written by Louis Verchot and others, the report outlines the current status and trends for Indonesia’s forests. It calls for plantations to be developed on degraded lands, which would make modest contributions to emissions reductions, but states that such plantations should be planned carefully so as to not cause any conflict with local communities and indigenous peoples. The authors underline the need to stop or reduce deforestation, peat fires, and peat drainage, in order to achieve emissions reductions. [The Report]