Indigenous Peoples

Down to Earth No.84, March 2010 

Don't buy or invest in Indonesian pulp and paper

An open letter from Indonesian CSOs sent in March calls on consumers of, and investors in, Indonesia's pulp and paper to halt existing investments and refrain from new investments and purchases from pulp and paper companies until there is evidence of real reform in the sector.

Down to Earth No.83, December 2009

Despite urgent calls for action from civil society, climate scientists and governments of some of the most vulnerable countries, the pace of progress towards a new international climate deal has been frustratingly slow.

DTE 82, September 2009

The giant Tangguh gas project in Bintuni Bay, West Papua, has now started exporting LNG, amid continuing concerns about social and environmental impacts.

After many delays, the Tangguh project, operated by UK oil multinational, BP, has begun production, with the first shipments of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) delivered to China and South Korea in July 2009. There is much at stake for many people in this operation, not least for the local communities who will be regularly seeing tanker ships ferrying LNG away from their shores. They and the wider Papuan community have been sold this project on promises of development and improved welfare. However, as income starts to flow from this project, concerns about increased militarisation, threats to livelihoods and resource rights persist.