Written question asked by Marquess of Lothian (Conservative) on Thursday, 19 November 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 3 December 2020. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Thursday, 3 December 2020 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Indonesia: Rainforests

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government, as part of their coordinated international efforts to address climate change, when they last discussed with the government of Indonesia (1) the issue of increased deforestation in Papua, and (2) allegations of illegal and deliberate fire setting by commercial interests in Papua’s rainforests in order to clear the land for palm oil production.

Answer: As part of our coordinated international efforts to address climate change, the UK Government works closely with the Government of Indonesia on shared objectives to reduce and avoid deforestation and improve the sustainability of Indonesia's palm oil sector, including through regular bilateral engagement. Our partnership incorporates UK support for a number of programmes designed to reduce and avoid deforestation in key forested provinces, including Papua and West Papua, as well as thematic programmes to promote the Government of Indonesia's initiatives on palm oil sustainability and better governance of the forest and land-use sector.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL10520
Session: 2019-21
Subjects: Climate change Environment protection Rainforests Production Indonesia Palm oil
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk