China and India’s unsustainable economic growth are partly dependent on coal being cheap (i.e. implicitly suspect from the legal, social and environmental point of view) – as well as consumers not caring about the consequences of their purchases. The market (including for timber, pulp and palm oil) is distorted by prices which do not reflect both legality and social and environmental impact.

It is likely that many of the mining, forest clearance and plantation concessions have been recently rushed through in Indonesia “on the nod” – specifically in order to gain access to REDD+ or similar funding but with little intention to actually mine, clear or plant.

All such concessions above a low threshold should be reviewed – those granted during the last couple of years and those which have not been sufficiently implemented should be considered ineligible for compensation. As should those where corruption is reasonably suspected as having been a factor in granting the concession.

Lawyers should be salivating at the prospect of lucrative commissions – on either side of the fence! Where are they?