The Under The Eagle’s Shadow report sets out an extraordinary multi-year investigation into companies found to have wide-ranging connections to the Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) group, controlled by Indonesian tycoon Sukanto Tanoto. 

It shows strong evidence that the entities investigated are ‘shadow’ companies under common control with the RGE/Tanoto group, which is active in pulp and palm oil and other industries across a number of countries. They include a number of companies clearing rainforest in the last few years, including companies clearing orangutan habitat for pulpwood, and one that has bought palm fruit grown inside a wildlife sanctuary.

The report concludes that under a precautionary approach the 194 Indonesian companies and 63 overseas holding companies investigated should be considered part of the RGE/Tanoto group, which therefore should be held accountable for any social or environmental harms resulting from the operations of these companies. Case studies of such harms are detailed in the report.

Greenpeace International urges brands to evaluate this evidence and end their involvement in deforestation via RGE. Likewise, since an RGE company is applying to rejoin the Forest Stewardship Council, the FSC should investigate all the companies identified in the report, and if any are confirmed as under the control of RGE/Tanoto group, then the FSC remedy process with RGE’s pulp and paper company APRIL must be terminated. Full documentation of all evidence found is linked in the report.

Download the full report: Under The Eagle’s Shadow

Read a narrative summary: Summary of the ‘Under The Eagle’s Shadow’ report: investigating evidence of an RGE/Tanoto shadow empire