Tropical palm oil is ‘more polluting’ than IPCC committee suggests

A report from a technical committee of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is, according to non-governmental organisations, under-estimating the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by palm oil grown on tropical peatlands by nearly 50%.

The low emissions estimate stems from a technical committee on wetlands of the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories of the IPCC which provides scientific advice to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The committee’s recommended emissions factor suggests palm oil grown on deep drained tropical peatlands emits 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide per hectare per year.

However Oxfam, Wetlands International, Rainforest Action Network and the Union of Concerned Scientists say the latest and most comprehensive peer-reviewed research over the last decade has been ignored because of poor process.

These scientists say the figure for deep drained and cultivated tropical peat is nearer 70 tonnes – nearly double the pollution level adopted by the committee.

‘Palm oil that is grown on tropical peatlands causes far greater emissions than when it is grown on other lands. An estimated 2.15 million hectares of palm plantations were planted on peatlands in 2010, and under current trajectories, expansion on peatlands is expected to double in the next decade,’ a joint statement from the four organizations read.

‘Getting peatland emission factors right is significant; underestimating these emissions has real world consequences for our climate, environment, and public health. It would mean the world’s biggest palm oil-growing countries, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, would be producing greater carbon dioxide emissions than calculations based on this IPCC emissions factor would suggest.’

‘This decision frustrates efforts to stop the expansion of large-scale unsustainable plantations on tropical peatlands. This expansion poses a major threat to our climate and to the livelihoods of local farmers,’ adds Oxfam corporate social responsibility advisor Derk Byvanck. ‘A transparent decision by IPCC is needed to support fair governance over land use changes for large plantations in developing countries.’