Enviro News Asia, New York — Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry reaffirmed its commitment to developing a credible, transparent, and internationally aligned forestry carbon trading system during the Indonesia–International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and Indonesia America Chamber of Commerce (IACC) Business Forum held in New York on Monday (11/5).
Speaking at the forum hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York, Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, said the country is entering a new phase of forest management that extends beyond timber production toward carbon value, biodiversity, environmental services, and sustainable green economy development.
“Indonesia possesses approximately 120 million hectares of tropical forests, creating vast opportunities for global partnerships in climate investment and sustainable forestry business development,” Raja Juli Antoni stated before international business representatives and environmental market stakeholders.
The Minister explained that the issuance of Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 6 of 2026 marked a major milestone in Indonesia’s forestry sector transformation. The regulation provides legal certainty for businesses to generate, verify, and trade carbon credits from forestry concession areas, including natural production forests, industrial plantation forests, and social forestry areas.
According to the Ministry, the regulation also strengthens integration between Indonesia’s national carbon market and international standards, including the principles of the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market and Article 6 mechanisms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Paris Agreement framework.
Beyond carbon trading, the Ministry is also promoting a multi-business forestry scheme that allows forest concession holders to diversify revenue sources through non-timber forest products, environmental services, ecotourism, biochar, and sustainable biomass energy development.
Raja Juli Antoni said the multi-business approach would improve investment attractiveness while strengthening Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) implementation in Indonesia’s forestry sector.
Indonesia has also reinforced its forestry governance through the submission of its Forest Reference Emission Level to the UNFCCC, the operationalization of the National Registry System (SRN), and implementation of the country’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target, which aims to make the forestry and land-use sector a net carbon sink by the end of the decade.
Chairman of the Asosiasi Pengusaha Hutan Indonesia (APHI), Soewarso, said the issuance of Ministerial Regulation No. 6 of 2026 represented a historic milestone for accelerating the forestry carbon market.
“APHI and all its members are fully committed to developing high-integrity and credible carbon initiatives. We want to ensure that carbon credits generated from Indonesia’s forests receive global recognition and deliver tangible ecological and economic benefits for communities,” Soewarso stated during the forum.
Meanwhile, Head of Public Relations and International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Forestry, Ristianto Pribadi, described the forum as an important momentum to expand Indonesia’s green investment network and strengthen the country’s position as a global hub for forest-based carbon economy development.
“Indonesia is not offering aid, but strategic partnerships supported by government commitment, regulatory certainty, and the enormous potential of tropical forest resources,” Ristianto said.
The Business Forum on Carbon Market and Forest Products brought together representatives from leading global organizations and companies in environmental markets and forestry products, including Bloomberg, S&P Global, Verra, Intercontinental Exchange, and We Mean Business Coalition. (*)
