Enviro News Asia, Bogor — Indonesia’s Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni officially launched a tree-planting campaign as a tangible action to offset the institutional carbon footprint of the Ministry of Forestry. The kick-off event, held in Rumpin, Bogor Regency, marks the Ministry’s first formal step toward integrating climate accountability into daily governance through sustainable practices.
Minister Antoni emphasized that the initiative is part of a new tradition within the Ministry: to quantify its organizational carbon footprint and actively offset it through tree planting, while simultaneously striving to reduce emissions from internal operations.
“I believe meaningful, lasting change begins with ourselves. Personal awareness is the foundation of sound policy and real structural transformation,” said the Minister in his official statement.
As an institution tasked with safeguarding Indonesia’s forests, Minister Antoni stated that the Ministry must lead by example—not only through policy but also through everyday behavior. He cited his own environmentally conscious lifestyle choices, such as using homemade eco-enzyme cleaners and reducing single-use plastics.
According to the Ministry’s internal carbon audit, over 60% of its emissions stem from electricity consumption. The Minister called on all staff to take simple yet impactful actions such as turning off air conditioning and lights when not in use. “It’s not about affordability—it’s about awareness. Electricity use means carbon emissions,” he asserted.
The event also involved more than 400 newly recruited civil service candidates (CASN) from Forestry Ministry units across the country. Addressing the young civil servants, Minister Antoni urged them to become agents of change:
“Start with yourself. If you can improve yourself, you can improve your environment, your society, and your nation.”
The Forestry Ministry estimates its 2024 carbon footprint at 21,475.46 tons of CO₂e from its 55 central units. To offset this, approximately 976,158 trees—or about 2,440 hectares of planting area—are needed. Each tree is expected to absorb 22 kg of CO₂ annually. The Ministry has also mandated each Echelon I unit to plant and maintain trees on 5,000 square meters of land.
During the kick-off, simultaneous tree plantings were conducted nationwide, with the central event in Rumpin involving 1,035 tree seedlings on 2.05 hectares of land. The species planted were multi-purpose tree species (MPTS), including jackfruit, durian, avocado, jengkol, petai, crystal guava, matoa, starfruit, mango, and longan, chosen for their ecological, economic, and social benefits.
A total of 570 participants—including officials, staff, and CASN—joined the activity. Minister Antoni stressed that the campaign is not ceremonial; tree growth monitoring will be conducted as part of the Ministry’s sustainability responsibility system.
This campaign coincides with the 2025 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed every 17 June. This year’s theme, “Restore the land. Unlock the opportunities”, highlights the importance of soil and land restoration for job creation, food and water security, climate action, and economic resilience.
The Ministry hopes the initiative will inspire similar climate accountability efforts across public and private sectors. (*)
