New deal to protect one of the world’s biggest ‘carbon stores’

The Indonesian province of Riau has pledged to halt the destruction of its carbon-rich peatlands and forests, according to Greenpeace. The environmental group described the agreement as a step toward lasting protection for one of the largest single stores of carbon on the planet.
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At a ceremony in the provincial capital Pekanbaru, Wan Abu Bakar, the governor of Riau, pledged to prevent any further destruction of the
area’s peatlands and forests for the production of commodities like palm oil, a major commodity used in food, cosmetics and biofuels.
The province is thought to store 14.6 billion tonnes of carbon in its dense peatland areas, equivalent to one year’s entire global greenhouse-gas emissions.

Greenpeace representatives in Indonesia are now urging the Riau government to maintain the moratorium until a permanent law can be passed.

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