Within social forestry, 70% of the programs focus on climate change mitigation, while the remaining 30% are dedicated to adaptation.
Social forestry areas in Indonesia have absorbed an estimated 31.9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2) emissions between 2016 and 2021, according to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This significant absorption, occurring across a forest area of 4.6 million hectares, represents 22.7% of the country’s carbon emission absorption target set for 2030 under the FOLU net sink program.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Initiatives
The Indonesia’s Forest and Land Use Net Sink 2030 policy aims to balance carbon production and absorption from the forestry and other land use (FOLU) sectors. Although not the largest emission producer, the forestry sector is mandated to absorb 60% of the 2.87 billion tons of emissions projected for 2030 in the absence of mitigation efforts.
Reducing carbon emissions is a crucial step in preventing the peak of the climate crisis, which will occur if the Earth’s temperature rises by 1.5-2°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Each country must contribute to reducing global emissions by 45% from the current total of 55 billion tons of CO2 equivalent to mitigate the temperature increase caused by greenhouse gases.
Indonesia has pledged to the United Nations to reduce its emissions by 29% through its own efforts and 41% with international assistance by 2030, as part of its nationally determined contributions (NDC). This target has been revised upward to 32% and 43%, respectively.
Bambang Supriyanto, Director General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, stated that social forestry areas could contribute significantly to climate change mitigation efforts. Initially estimated to contribute only 4% to the FOLU net sink, social forestry has exceeded expectations, contributing over 20%.
The government’s approach to reducing carbon emissions in the forestry sector includes preventing and reducing deforestation and land degradation (REDD+), which encompasses programs such as reduced impact logging (RIL), land restoration and rehabilitation, and social forestry.
Indonesia’s climate change mitigation strategy is divided into adaptation and mitigation efforts, with adaptation being a unique policy not implemented by other countries that have pledged emission reductions to the UN at annual Climate Change Conferences (COP).
Within social forestry, 70% of the programs focus on climate change mitigation, while the remaining 30% are dedicated to adaptation. To support these programs, the government will obtain funding from international institutions through the Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH).
Social forestry provides communities living in and around forest areas with access to manage forest land for 35 years. Families must form social forestry groups to gain this access, receiving 2 hectares of forest land in Java and 5 hectares outside Java, with the responsibility of cultivating the land while maintaining its ecological integrity.
The Directorate General of Social Forestry and Environmental Partnerships (PSKL) has received funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) amounting to IDR 113 billion (US$ 7.5 million) out of a commitment of US$ 93 million. The payment is made through a performance-based payment scheme or result-based payment (RBP), which is a form of carbon trading.
Result-based payments are based on the unit of carbon absorbed by the forest area, preventing it from becoming a greenhouse gas that contributes to the climate crisis. With a commitment of US$ 93 million and an absorption of 31.9 million tons of carbon, the carbon price in social forestry areas is US$ 2.9 per ton.
According to the World Bank and IMF, carbon trading will be an effective climate change mitigation tool if the carbon price ranges between US$ 100-120 per ton, creating a disincentive for emission producers and encouraging reduced emission production.
Lead image courtesy of Maggie Choi
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