Asia Pulp & Paper denies deliberate fire use in Indonesian operations

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), one of Indonesia's major industrial concerns, has pushed back against suggestions that it deliberately uses fire in forest management, arguing that such practices contradict both business logic and legal requirements.

In a statement addressing its operational practices, the company contended that deliberate fire use offers no commercial advantage to its pulp and paper production. APP stressed that Indonesian legislation explicitly prohibits intentional burning as a land-clearing method, positioning legal compliance as integral to its business model.

The company's comments reflect broader scrutiny of industrial land use in Indonesia, where forest fires linked to plantation expansion have drawn international criticism and contributed to transboundary haze affecting neighbouring countries including Singapore and Malaysia. Environmental groups have long raised concerns about the role of large-scale timber and pulp producers in deforestation across the archipelago.

APP's statement represents an attempt to distance itself from allegations of complicity in forest fires, though environmental advocates have maintained that industrial-scale clearing operations create conditions conducive to fire spread, whether intentional or accidental. Indonesian authorities have periodically conducted investigations into forest fire incidents, with enforcement of anti-burning regulations remaining inconsistent across the country's vast territory.

The issue remains contentious as Indonesia continues balancing industrial development with environmental protection amid international pressure to preserve its rainforests and reduce carbon emissions.