Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) retains its Singapore green-label certification under new restrictions tied to fires at three Indonesian suppliers, but could lose the label if its fire controls prove ineffective.
The Singapore Environment Council (SEC), which administers the certification scheme, imposed the restrictions on Oct. 18. APP told CNA it was required to begin daily reporting on Oct. 21 and that no end date had been set for the restrictions.
The council said it may suspend APP’s certification if the company cannot demonstrate that stronger fire monitoring, prevention and suppression measures are working. A suspension would end APP’s permission to use the certification logo on affected products.
The suppliers are PT Bumi Andalas Permai, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau and PT Sebangun Bumi Andalas Wood Industries. Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) lists the third company as PT SBA Wood Industries in its Oct. 16 notice.
NEA said there were indications that smoke from fires on the companies’ concession lands could have reached Singapore. Its notices directed the companies to deploy firefighters, refrain from burning and submit plans to extinguish fires or prevent them from recurring. NEA has also announced plans to notify three more Indonesian companies.
The council’s pulp-and-paper standard prohibits clearing land by burning across the fibre supply chain. It also requires compliance with fire-management rules when fibre comes from plantations on peatland.
NEA identified the same three concession holders among companies notified over fires that could have contributed to the 2015 haze. NTUC FairPrice removed APP-linked products from its stores that year. The council awarded APP enhanced pulp-and-paper certification in May 2019.
FairPrice Group, formed in 2019, told CNA it was monitoring the current situation and had sought clarification from suppliers. In its response to CNA, APP said its daily reports would cover hotspots, prevention measures and firefighting efforts until further notice.
