REDD (Reducing carbon Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) in action - 4 billion fund for Indonesian forest protection

from Greenpeace.org via the Greenpeace International facebook page
Govs show Indonesian forests the money: 4 billion fund for forest protection
by Laura K

Indonesian forests got some love and some money this week.

The money came in the form of a 4 billion USD fund contributed to by seven wealthy countries - US, UK, Norway, Germany, Australia, Japan and France - to be used for forest protection globally as part of REDD (reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation). A program where developed countries provide funds to help developing ones protect their forests. (Deforestation contributes up to a fifth of global carbon emissions - so this money doesn't just protect trees it protects our climate too!) In addition to the global fund, Indonesia will also receive 1 billion directly from Norway.

The love was an announcement by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of a two year ban on handing over new pieces of Indonesian forest and carbon-rich peatlands to companies for logging and deforestation.

This two year ban was a requirement of the money put forward by Norway - but it does not include the millions of hectares of forests already on the chopping block.

Real love would be an official decree by the Indonesian President making the ban effective immediately (not months from now) and also extending it to cover all of Indonesia's rainforests and peatlands - including those areas already owned by companies like Sinar Mas and in imminent danger of being deforested and degraded, like this:

Now that Indonesian forests are starting to see the money - will the President show them some real love?

Following on the success of the Kit Kat campaign in convincing Nestlé to give Indonesia's rainforests and peatlands a break - it would be amazing for the President to announce a complete ban on the decimation of these areas immediately.

Let's put the question out there. Will the Indonesian President declare true love for rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands by banning deforestation and degradation completely?