•        The Southeast Asian haze is an annual, seasonal phenomenon that is now in its 17th year. The first event in 1997 can be dubbed “Great Haze I”, during which Singapore’s PSI measure peaked at 226. The 2013 enviro-pollution season can be regarded as “Great Haze II” with PSI reaching just over 400.
•        In the previous haze episodes, NGO analysis placed responsibility (direct and indirect) at 65-80% on various types of corporate plantations and with 20% of responsibility on small farmers. The first 2-year Indonesia-Norway moratorium on deforestation and peat land development might have had an unintended consequence. Well-connected owners are thought to have received a slew of concessions to beat the moratorium deadline. They have been clearing the land. Now, Indonesian authorities say they think that 32 company concessions are on fire. Eight thought to be involved in starting fires have been identified and their names will be released in the coming days.
•        While the gloomy view is that little real action will be taken, we think that the mood is different from the approach taken back in the late 1990s – early 2000s. Will Singapore continue to leave it to the Indonesian authorities to solely deal with any Singapore-invested plantations found with open fires in their concessions? Or will these karmic winds that inflict the haze upon Singapore, bring a change in policy?

Please access our analysis here: http://tinyurl.com/mnzuc6h