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PT Astra Agro Lestari

SUBJECT

In March 2022, Friends of the Earth (FoE) and Walhi released a report – “No Consent Astra Agro Lestari’s land grab in Central and West Sulawesi, Indonesia”. The report claimed that PT Agro Nusa Abadi, PT Lestari Tana Teladan, and PT Mamuang, AAL are responsible for various violations of the environment, human rights, and governance.

The report claimed that the three subsidiaries are embroiled in protracted land conflicts with local communities in Central and West Sulawesi, accused of violent land-grabbing abetted by Indonesian security forces, and implicated in illegal deforestation, forest encroachment, and soil, air, and water pollution with negative impacts to communities’ livelihoods.

PROGRESS

April 2022
Apical reached out to PT AAL to investigate the above allegations

May 2022
Apical held a meeting with Astra on the allegation. Astra informed that they are aware of the report and has provided them with its response in March 2022. AAL informed that they always operated in accordance with Indonesia law.

In a statement that AAL further clarify that PT Mamuang (Mamuang), PT Lestari Tani Teladan (LTT) and PT Agro Nusa Abadi (ANA) have always operated in accordance with the law in Indonesia and hold all the necessary permits to conduct their business and operations. None of these AAL subsidiary companies is involved in any illegal land acquisitions.
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AAL also informed that all of its subsidiaries do not engage in any form of ‘land grabbing’ or human rights violations. As a responsible and sustainable operator with a long history in Indonesia, AAL take any overlapping land ownership claims extremely seriously and rely on the established legal system to resolve any ownership disputes.

On the environmental issue, AAL committed to running its business in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner, in compliance with all applicable laws. This includes managing its impact on the local environment and helping to support the livelihoods of local communities. Since 2015, ALL has formalised their commitment to the NDPE principles of “No Deforestation, No Peat Development, and Respecting Human Rights”, following which there has been no new development of land. NDPE is also a critical element of its 5-year sustainability plan (2021-2025), in which AAL outlines specific steps for each category.

Having investigated each of the allegations made in the FoE report in detail, AAL is confident in the processes that it has in place across the group to ensure that it is operating responsibly and in accordance with its operating procedures and in line with all applicable regulations. The statement can be found here

Di Apical Group, komitmen kami terhadap keberlanjutan didukung penuh dimulai dari jajaran managemen teratas. Presiden Apical didukung oleh Direktur Keberlanjutan bersama seluruh kepala bisnis, memastikan keberlanjutan terintegrasi dalam unit bisnis dan fungsional, dan tertanam dalam nilai dan inisiatif inti perusahaan.

Topik keberlanjutan dibahas pada rapat dewan yang diadakan setiap tiga bulan. Kami juga memiliki tim keberlanjutan yang berdedikasi berbasis di Kuala Lumpur; Malaysia, dan Indonesia; Pekanbaru, Dumai, Medan, Jakarta dan Balikpapan. Tim Keberlanjutan ditugaskan untuk menerapkan dan memantau komitmen kami melalui keterlibatan dan kolaborasi pemangku kepentingan yang konstruktif.

Selain itu, kami didukung penuh oleh departemen Sosial, Keamanan, dan Perizinan (SSL) khusus di setiap unit bisnis yang kami miliki, untuk menangani masalah sosial dan perizinan sesuai dengan peraturan nasional serta kebijakan keberlanjutan Apical. Tim juga mengawasi program Tanggung Jawab Sosial Perusahaan (CSR) untuk mendukung penghidupan yang lebih baik di masyarakat setempat.

Mencapai tujuan keberlanjutan membutuhkan lebih dari sekadar kolaborasi dengan pemangku kepentingan utama kami. Kolaborasi lintas industri dan perusahaan sejenis juga penting dan karenanya, kami terus mencari dan berpartisipasi dalam kemitraan baru, keanggotaan industri yang relevan, dan skema sertifikasi.

Kami berpartisipasi dalam skema keanggotaan dan sertifikasi industri seperti Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), termasuk P&C Review Taskforce RSPO dan National Interpretation Working Group RSPO Indonesia, International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), dan Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO).

Dato' Yeo How

PRESIDEN APICAL GROUP

At Apical Group, our commitment to sustainability stems right from the top. Apical’s President is supported by the Director of Sustainability and various business heads, to ensure sustainability is integrated within business and functional units, and embedded in the company’s core values and initiatives.

Sustainability topics are discussed at Board meetings held quarterly. We also have dedicated Sustainability teams based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Pekanbaru, Dumai, Medan, Jakarta and Balikpapan in Indonesia. The Sustainability teams are tasked with implementing and monitoring our commitments through constructive stakeholder engagement and collaboration.

In addition, there is also a dedicated Social, Security and Licensing (SSL) department in each refinery we own, to handle social and licensing matters in compliance with national regulations as well as Apical Sustainability Policy. The team also oversees Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes to support better livelihoods in local communities.

Achieving sustainability goals requires more than just collaboration with our key stakeholders. Collaboration across industries and peer companies is also crucial and hence, we constantly look for and participate in new partnerships, relevant industry membership and certification schemes.

We participate in industry membership and certification schemes such as the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), including the RSPO P&C Review Taskforce and the RSPO Indonesia National Interpretation Working Group, the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), and the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO)

Dato' Yeo How

APICAL GROUP PRESIDENT