{"id":12398,"date":"2020-10-05T23:44:39","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T23:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/2020\/10\/05\/april-responds-to-auriga-on-pt-ahl\/"},"modified":"2025-02-20T07:44:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T07:44:47","slug":"april-responds-to-auriga-on-pt-ahl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/articles\/april-responds-to-auriga-on-pt-ahl\/","title":{"rendered":"APRIL Responds to Auriga on PT AHL"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>APRIL has responded to a series of questions received from Auriga Nusantara related to one of APRIL\u2019s open market suppliers of plantation fiber, PT. Adindo Hutani Lestari (PT. AHL).<\/p>\n<p>Auriga\u2019s questions pertained to allegations of deforestation or loss of natural forest in PT AHL\u2019s concession between 2015 and 2020 in breach of APRIL\u2019s Sustainable Forest Management Policy 2.0 (SFMP 2.0), which applies to APRIL\u2019s fiber supply chain. Auriga also raised questions of undeclared links in the shareholder structure of PT AHL and APRIL and APRIL\u2019s parent company RGE.<\/p>\n<p>In our response to Auriga, we shared comprehensive evidence to show no deforestation occurred in the areas Auriga made claims about and that there has been no breach of our SFMP 2.0 commitments. We also shared with Auriga a response from PT AHL to APRIL about claims of related ownership structure between APRIL or RGE and PT. AHL.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Deforestation and SFMP Violation Claims<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As Auriga\u2019s correspondence with APRIL notes, PT. AHL completed the requirements of a HCV assessment in February 2014 and an Executive Summary, including maps as shown below (Maps 1 \u2013 4), is available on our Sustainability Dashboard (<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.aprilasia.com\/en\/pt-adindo-hutani-lestari\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">AHL HCV<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5053\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AHL-Sebakis-HCV-mapping-2014.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"936\" height=\"660\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Map 1. AHL Sebakis HCV mapping (2014)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5054\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AHL-Sembakung-HCV-mapping-2014.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"933\" height=\"660\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Map 2. AHL Sembakung HCV mapping (2014)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5056\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AHL-Sesayap-HCV-Mapping-2014.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"933\" height=\"660\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Map 3. AHL Sesayap HCV Mapping (2014)<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5055\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/AHL-Sesayap-Bengara-HCV-Mapping-2014.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"933\" height=\"660\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Map 4. AHL Sesayap Bengara HCV Mapping (2014)<\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that based on these HCV results, PT AHL now conserves 89,181 hectares or 47% of its total concession area. This is almost double the area developed into plantations which total 50,388 hectares or only 26% of the concession area. This translates to a very high conservation to plantation ratio of 1.8:1.<\/p>\n<p>We take any claims of deforestation seriously, and after investigation, including ground-truthing, we can confirm that no deforestation or breach of our SFMP 2.0 policy commitment has occurred. The facts are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Between 3 June 2015 and 31 August 2020, 8,387 hectares of plantations were established in PT. AHL. <strong>None of these are located in identified HCV areas.<\/strong> This is proven by an analysis of the original HCV maps and a comparison of the maps showing the HCV and conservation areas in 2015 and in 2020 based on remote sensing analysis (see Map 5 Comparative Forest Cover 2015 \u2013 2020).<\/li>\n<li>Land preparation activities for all of the 8,387 hectares of plantations were completed before 15 May 2015, as independently verified by PT. Hatfield Indonesia, an environmental consultant with expertise in remote sensing. <strong>Hatfield\u2019s analysis confirmed these areas were non-HCV areas and harvested prior to the 15 May 2015 cut-off date per APRIL\u2019s SFMP 2.0. <\/strong>Please refer to Pictures 1 \u2013 4 below for reference.<\/li>\n<li>Of the 8,387 hectares 6,058 hectares are classified as peat and <strong>none of these are on a protected Peat Dome Peak Area<\/strong> (MOEF FEG Map SK.130\/2017).<\/li>\n<li>As with all of our fiber suppliers, PT. AHL is subject to an annual internal due diligence process and independent assurance by KPMG as part of our SFMP commitments. The KPMG audit reports are publicly available (<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.aprilasia.com\/en\/sustainable-forestry-management-policy-2-0\/2019-sfmp-2-0-interim-assurance-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">KPMG<\/a>). PT AHL is also subject to APRIL\u2019s Land Cover Change monitoring system which analyzes monthly Land Sat data for any changes in forest cover.<\/li>\n<li>As noted by Auriga in their letter to APRIL, the plantation establishment activities during the period from 3 June 2015 to 31 August 2020 are in compliance with Indonesian laws and regulations and in line with APRIL\u2019s SFMP 2.0 commitments and HCV guidance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div style=\"width: 50%; float: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Map-5.1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\"><br \/>\nNatural Forest Cover, June 2015<\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 50%; float: left;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Map-5.2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\"><br \/>\nNatural Forest Cover, August 2020<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 3em; padding-top: 1.5em; clear: both;\">Map 5. Comparative Forest Cover 2015 to 2020<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5059\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Picture-1-Aerial-Survey.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1217\" height=\"659\"><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Picture 1 &#8211; Aerial Survey AHL 30 September 2020<\/p>\n<p><strong> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5060\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Picture-2-Aerial-Survey.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1017\" height=\"771\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Picture 2 &#8211; Aerial Survey AHL 30 September 2020<\/p>\n<p><strong> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5061\" src=\"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Picture-3-Aerial-Survey.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1145\" height=\"769\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Picture 3 &#8211; Aerial Survey AHL 30 September 2020<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ownership and Organisation Structure<\/strong><br \/>\nAHL is a key supplier to APRIL (<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.aprilasia.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Supplier Maps<\/a>), including in the period from 2015 to 2019.<\/p>\n<p>APRIL has shared a correspondence from PT. AHL with Auriga in which it clarifies its ownership and categorically states that no shareholding in PT AHL has ever been held by the shareholders of APRIL or RGE. It has further rejected other claims of business ownership or management links between PT AHL and APRIL or RGE.<\/p>\n<p><strong>KPMG Assurance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Auriga also posed questions relating to KPMG\u2019s assurance as it applies to open market suppliers and to PT. AHL in particular. These are the facts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>KPMG undertakes an annual audit under the guidance of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee of APRIL\u2019s implementation of our SFMP commitments. The audit is completed against agreed indicators developed with a range of stakeholders.<\/li>\n<li>KPMG visited PT. AHL as part of its assurance process between APRIL 9 and 12 2018, preceded by a comprehensive desktop review.<\/li>\n<li>KPMG\u2019s report notes that \u201c<em>For Open Market Suppliers, no new development has been identified to date but not all information has yet been received from the suppliers.<\/em>\u201d This resulted in an Opportunity for Improvement (OFI#1).<\/li>\n<li>OFI#1 relates to APRIL\u2019s Land Cover Change (LCC) monitoring procedure which is used to identify new development. KPMG noted that there were still 511 hectares of LCC from Open Market suppliers that had not been verified and that the majority (82%) related to one supplier (not PT. AHL).<\/li>\n<li>OFI#1 has since been closed with improvements to the procedure and better reporting from our suppliers.<\/li>\n<li>This assurance report is publicly available (<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.aprilasia.com\/en\/2018-sfmp-2-0-full_assurance-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">2017 Report<\/a>) with all the annual reports also available (<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.aprilasia.com\/en\/sustainable-forestry-management-policy-2-0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">All Reports<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In closing, we have invited Auriga to visit PT AHL\u2019s operations and ground-truth the data we have provided and requested that our full response be included in its final report to stakeholders. We will also take the opportunity to update this response should further allegations be noted when Auriga\u2019s report is published.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>APRIL has responded to a series of questions received from Auriga Nusantara related to one of APRIL\u2019s open market suppliers of plantation fiber, PT. Adindo&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[38,44],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12398","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-april-dialog","8":"category-stakeholder-engagement"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12398"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12408,"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12398\/revisions\/12408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/april.hellopomelo.space\/id\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}