Beginning in early 2023, AAL engaged EcoNusantara, the specialist independent advisory and consultancy organisation focussed on environmental and social responsibility to conduct independent verification of the allegations associated with three of AAL’s subsidiaries in Sulawesi. The eight-month long on-the-ground in-depth assessment addressed the grievances raised by Walhi and Friends of the Earth (US).

In the course of this assessment, EcoNusantara engaged directly with the communities concerned and remained open to dialogue with any and all members of civil society who wished also to engage. To maintain transparency, EcoNusantara and AAL also published bi­ weekly progress reports via AAL’s website so that all stakeholders could gauge progress.
The final report was published in November 2023, after a three-week period of consultation with stakeholders, Stakeholder comments were published in the form of a O&A alongside the report.

Econusantara was then re-engaged to assist in developing an Action Plan consequent on the report’s findings. This Action Plan is necessarily detailed, since it covers the details of the grievances, ENS’s findings, and subsequent proposed remediatory advice.
Once again, the Action Plan was submitted to stakeholders for review, and their comments have been included in the plan.

AAL is now pleased to publish the final Action Plan for complete transparency – the link to the full document is here.

AAL with the assistance of EcoNusantara as an independent third party that has previously engaged with the community, will work on the ground to both socialise the Action Plan locally, and implement its recommendations in consultation with the relevant communities.

Zulfahmi, EcoNusantara’s Director, and has been an NGO activist since 1997,commented ‘This has been a necessarily long and detailed process. The grievances raised were complex and many, and it serves no-ones’ interests to treat them lightly, particularly the communities concerned. We have been scrupulous in our examination of every detail and are concerned to be as fully engaged with individuals and groups in the communities. We believe this report best reflects the options for meeting the verified grievances and sits well alongside the community support programmes AAL is in any case already putting in place. We commend the company­ and stakeholders for their patience and participation while we worked through this process.’