Forestry company APRIL appoints ex-Forest Stewardship Council chief Kim Carstensen, targets forest management credential restoration
Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL) has appointed Kim Carstensen, the former Director General of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), as its senior sustainability advisor. The move is part of APRIL's efforts to pursue FSC recertification, having been absent from FSC membership since 2013.
Carstensen, who spent more than 12 years in the role before retiring in April 2021, will play a pivotal role in guiding APRIL's sustainability strategy across the RGE group. The appointment is seen as a strategic move to strengthen APRIL's sustainability profile and advance its recertification process.
However, the appointment has raised both hopes of improved sustainability oversight and concerns regarding conflicts of interest or the robustness of FSC recertification under this arrangement. This is due to the past controversies that FSC has faced, including allegations of forest destruction and human rights abuses in some FSC-certified concessions.
In 2021, an investigation by Earthsight revealed such issues at FSC-certified concessions. NGOs have criticized FSC’s certification processes as flawed in allowing some companies to benefit despite negative environmental and social impacts.
APRIL's parent company, Royal Golden Eagle (RGE), has denied allegations associated with past criticisms, claiming these are attempts by NGOs to sabotage APRIL's certification efforts. In 2020, APRIL sent an "acknowledgement of harm" letter to FSC, committing to remediate past harm in Riau, Indonesia.
In 2023, APRIL signed a memorandum of understanding with FSC, initiating a process to end their disassociation and work towards regaining FSC certification. However, NGOs have objected to APRIL's reassociation process, citing evidence of ongoing deforestation and conflict with local communities by RGE.
Recertification of APRIL by FSC would be considered "greenwashing on an industrial scale" by NGOs Earthsight and Auriga Nusantara. Greenpeace's latest investigation links the company and its Tanoto family owners to "shadow" companies allegedly responsible for forest loss in Indonesia.
Before joining FSC, Carstensen spent more than a decade as CEO of WWF Denmark and started with the conservation group as a programme officer in the late 1980s. Under Carstensen's leadership, FSC grew to certify land covering nearly 216 million hectares of land in 89 countries.
It is worth noting that Carstensen remains an individual member of the Forest Stewardship Council, allowing him to vote in electing members to the board of directors and on policy motions. Dr Subhra Bhattacharjee replaced Carstensen as the Director General of FSC.
The controversy surrounding APRIL's past practices and FSC's certification processes underscores the challenges faced in achieving sustainable forest management. The appointment of Carstensen, while strategic for APRIL, also raises questions about the robustness of FSC's recertification process and the potential for conflicts of interest.
[1] Reuters (2023). APRIL, FSC to work towards re-association. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/business/april-fsc-to-work-towards-re-association-2023-02-01/
[2] Mongabay (2023). APRIL signs MoU with FSC to regain certification. [online] Available at: https://www.mongabay.com/2023/02/april-signs-mou-with-fsc-to-regain-certification/
- APRIL's appointment of Kim Carstensen, the former Director General of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), as its senior sustainability advisor is part of its strategy to pursue FSC recertification.
- Carstensen, with his extensive experience in environmental science and conservation, will guide APRIL's sustainability strategy across the RGE group, aiming to strengthen its sustainability profile and advance its recertification process.
- However, this move has raised concerns about conflicts of interest or the robustness of FSC recertification, given past controversies and allegations of forest destruction and human rights abuses in some FSC-certified concessions.
- In 2023, APRIL signed a memorandum of understanding with FSC, initiating a process to end their disassociation and work towards regaining FSC certification, despite objections from NGOs citing ongoing deforestation and conflicts with local communities.
- The potential recertification of APRIL by FSC could be seen as "greenwashing on an industrial scale" by NGOs Earthsight and Auriga Nusantara, due to allegations linking the company to forest loss in Indonesia and "shadow" companies.
- It is important to note that the controversy surrounding APRIL's past practices and FSC's certification processes highlights the challenges in achieving sustainable forest management and raising questions about the robustness of FSC's recertification process and potential conflicts of interest.
