ASEAN
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has commenced the Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative which aims to mitigate climate change through reducing net emissions of greenhouse gases through enhanced forest management in developing countries. Since 2008 ASEAN and its member countries have developed programs to improve in-countries’ capacity and have initiated demonstration projects so that stakeholders are ready to implement REDD+. Other efforts by ASEAN include the 2016-2025 Strategic Plan of Action for ASEAN Cooperation on Forestry that helps to promote sustainable forest management (Strategic Thrust 7) (ASEAN, 2016).
Tropical Forest Alliance 2020-Southeast Asia Initiative
The Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA 2020) is committed to reducing tropical deforestation related to key global commodities by 2020, starting with soy, beef, palm oil, and paper and pulp. Southeast Asia is a major global supplier of these commodities, thus it is critical to ensure sustainable land use that combines forest protection and economical growth (Tropical Forest Alliance).
There has been a rising number of agricultural or forest commodities production companies that have pledged to remove deforestation from their supply chains by 2020. Also, various governments in Southeast Asia are focusing on ways to decrease the impacts of deforestation and forest fires to ensure sustainable economic growth.
The Southeast Asia Initiative includes these 4 aims
1.Bolstering international sustainable investment in Southeast Asia’s economies
2.Supporting smallholder farmers and independent third party suppliers
3.Championing a new narrative for deforestation-free growth
4. Support on peat restoration efforts in Indonesia