Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Ministry of Forestry has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the Forestry and Other Land Uses (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 target, a condition in which the forestry and land-use sector absorbs more carbon emissions than it releases.
“FOLU Net Sink 2030 is built on a spatial basis and the identification of mitigation action loci, with a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by -140 million tons of CO₂e by 2030,” said Dr. Ir. Mahfudz, M.P., Secretary General of the Ministry of Forestry, in remarks delivered by the Head of Public Relations and International Cooperation Bureau, Krisdianto, during the closing of the Journalist Workshop on Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 in Jakarta on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Secretary General Mahfudz emphasized that FOLU Net Sink 2030 is a critical part of Indonesia’s contribution to tackling global climate change. He added that this effort involves reducing deforestation and forest degradation, improving canopy cover and forest functions, and enhancing community welfare through sustainable forest management.
He stressed that this massive undertaking cannot be carried out by the Ministry alone. The role of the media is vital in disseminating credible information and encouraging public behavior change.
On this occasion, Agus Justianto, Senior Advisor of the FOLU Net Sink Task Force, stated that the success of the FOLU Net Sink 2030 agenda depends not only on government policy or technical support but also largely on the ability to foster broad public understanding.
“Journalists are the bridge between the complexity of policy and public comprehension,” said Agus. “Through strong and accurate narratives, the media can highlight inspiring stories from the field, illustrate the challenges, and raise public awareness to engage in climate action.”
In line with this, Krisdianto reported that the journalist workshop was attended by 22 selected national journalists and took place over two days, from May 16 to 17, 2025.
The event included discussion sessions and a field visit to the Rumpin Nursery in Bogor. Its aim was to strengthen journalists’ understanding of FOLU Net Sink 2030 and encourage the creation of constructive and solution-based journalistic works.
Following the workshop, the Ministry monitored related media coverage for a month and recorded over 100 articles addressing FOLU issues.
As a token of appreciation, the Ministry awarded two journalists deemed the most active in reporting on the topic: Hendrawan from Rakyat Merdeka and Anang Purwanto from MNC Trijaya.
“This award is our expression of gratitude for the dedication of our media partners who have actively and consistently highlighted forestry and climate change issues in a positive manner,” said Krisdianto.
The awards, in the form of electric bicycles, were sponsored by the Indonesian Forest Concessionaires Association (APHI) and APP Group.
“The electric bicycle symbolizes environmental care as it uses non-fossil energy. We hope this support from non-state actors will further inspire the creation of high-quality journalistic works on Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030,” said Iwan Setiawan, Deputy Director of APP Group.
Iwan noted that the workshop is expected to serve as a starting point for stronger collaboration between the government, media, and business actors as non-state actors in efforts to protect forests, reduce emissions, and realize a more sustainable Indonesia. (**)
