According to a report this past week by the Jakarta Globe, Jakarta, Indonesia, one of Asia’s largest pulp and paper firms, Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), has announced it will stop sourcing from natural forests four years earlier than initially planned in an effort to reduce deforestation and protect peatlands.

"This is a major step in our 15-year sustainability journey," said APRIL President Praveen Singhavi.

April owns plantations covering around 480,000 hectares and has now conserved about 320,000 hectares of natural forest area in Indonesia.

"This strengthened commitment by April is an encouraging step along the pathway towards responsible and sustainable production," said WWF Indonesia’s Aditya Bayunanda.

Indonesia, home to the world’s third-largest tropical forests, has surpassed Brazil in clearing tropical forests with losses accelerating despite a 2011 moratorium meant to protect wildlife and combat climate change.