Enviro News Asia, Belém — The Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing high-integrity carbon markets through sustainable tropical forest management. The commitment was underscored during a bilateral meeting between Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Forestry, Rohmat Marzuki, and the DRC Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development, and New Climate Economy, Marie Nyange Ndambo, held on the sidelines of the COP30 Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil.
During the meeting, Indonesia commended the DRC for its progress in developing a national framework for carbon market governance through the establishment of the Autorité de Régulation des Marchés du Carbone (ARMCA). The initiative marks a milestone in the DRC’s efforts to ensure transparency and credibility in its carbon trading system.
“This is an extraordinary step forward in building a high-integrity carbon market and strengthening forest governance. Indonesia appreciates the DRC’s leadership in the Congo Basin region,” said Vice Minister Rohmat Marzuki.
Indonesia is advancing its carbon market policy framework through Presidential Regulation No. 110/2025, positioning carbon trading as a key instrument toward green growth and a low-carbon economy. Under this regulation, carbon units generated from nature-based solutions—including reforestation, mangrove restoration, and agroforestry—can be traded both domestically and internationally.
To support the implementation of these policies, Indonesia is refining several sectoral regulations, including revisions to:
- Regulation No. 7/2023 on carbon trading in the forestry sector,
- Regulation No. 8/2021 on forest zoning and management,
- Regulation No. 9/2021 on social forestry, and
- A new regulation on the use of environmental services in conservation areas.
These reforms aim to transform forest carbon value into a new engine of inclusive green growth.
The initiative aligns with President Joko Widodo’s national target to rehabilitate 10 million hectares of degraded and critical land by 2030, as part of the FOLU Net Sink 2030 agenda—under which Indonesia’s forestry sector is expected to become a net carbon sink. Indonesia is also developing bioenergy from palm-based feedstocks, with potential production of 24 million kiloliters of bioethanol, projected to reduce fuel imports by up to 50 percent.
Furthermore, the social forestry program remains a key strategy to empower local communities. To date, more than 8.4 million hectares of community forests have been allocated for local management, creating 5.6 million green jobs for 1.4 million households. The government has also recognized 70,688 hectares of customary forests, with a target of 1.4 million hectares by 2029.
Vice Minister Marzuki emphasized that Indonesia aims to position itself as a global hub for sustainable carbon markets, open to collaboration with international partners to ensure integrity and alignment with global standards.
“Recently, Indonesia signed Memoranda of Understanding with the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) to enhance capacity building, technical collaboration, and private sector engagement—key components of a credible and interconnected carbon market,” he noted.
Both countries also agreed to strengthen South–South cooperation in forestry and climate governance. Indonesia and the DRC have previously collaborated through the International Tropical Peatland Center (ITPC) and the Global Peatland Initiative, which promote research exchange and sustainable peatland management among tropical nations.
“The two nations share the same vision—to protect tropical forests while promoting social and economic prosperity,” concluded Vice Minister Rohmat Marzuki.
The DRC expressed its intention to revive the Brazil–Indonesia–DRC Tropical Forest Coalition, first launched during COP26 in Glasgow, and to further joint collaboration under the ITPC framework through closer communication and coordinated programs. (*)
