Assumption of volume of
forest biomass recently plays a strategic role in the arrangement of
government’s policy. Emission rate and carbon absorption will become a
consideration of Forestry Minister’s decision in converting forest to other
uses, such as plantation and mining. Forestry Ministry Secretary General, Hadi
Daeyanto, stated this matter.
The Forestry Ministry is continuously trying various
alternatives to prepare for a credible and verifiable national carbon
calculation system. One of them is by arranging a monograph of a number of
algometric models to assume the capacity of tree biomass on types of tropical
forest ecosystems in Indonesia.
Hadi was optimistic that carbon assumption through
monographic instrument can achieve accuracy of designation of emission rate. By
doing this, the government could optimize Indonesia’s role in reducing world’s
glasshouse gases. The role has actually been set forth in Presidential
Regulation No. 61/201 on glasshouse gas national action plan. The government
has committed to reduce glasshouse gas emission by 26% in 2020 by itself, and
by 41% through international support.
In addition to
that, carbon absorption will continue to increase if in the future a carbon
market in the reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
(REDD+) mechanism has been formed. And, the Forestry Ministry could also
acquire an indicator of carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption from natural forests
and could determine policy on change of forest function. The monograph will be
used as a reference in arrangement of policy, for example, land conversion to
plantation, he said.
The Forestry Ministry sets to absorb 1.24 giga tons of
Co2 through 500,000 hectare planting a year. Increase in carbon stock will also
increase economic potency of carbon in the next couple of years. Carbon potency
in Indonesian forests is estimated to reach 250 tons per hectare with profit
projection at around Rp 20 millions per hectare. The government is currently
promoting carbon reference value to be priced at USD 8/ton.
But, carbon trade system by business-to-business not yet
obtained a baseline-to-business not yet obtained a baseline agreed at the
international level. The reason is that the discussion of REDD+ mechanism is
stagnant as it has not been done intensively so that carbon market trade in
overseas intensively so that carbon market trade in overseas could not yet be
mapped. Until now, Indonesia is still active in some international conferences
on mitigation and climate change. Besides participating actively in UNFCC
forum, Indonesia is continuously promoting sustainable forest conservation and
management business through collaboration of measuring, reporting and verifying
(MRV) systems.
Hadi said that his party has issued Regulation of
Forestry Minister No. 20/2012 on Forest Carbon Management. In this regulation,
there are 14 forestry practitioners who are entitled to receive income from
carbon trade. Among them are holders of logging (HPH) concessions, industrial
forests (HTI) concessions, community plantation forest (HTR) concessions,
conservation forest practitioners, and traditional forest practitioners.
Allocation of utilization of forest carbon for the state
will be set forth in Amendment of Government Regulation No. 59/1998, he said.
According to him, forest carbon management can be in the form of carbon storage
or absorption from state forests or community forests. Carbon management
activities consist of seed growing, planting, biodiversity protection, and
conservation forest management.
Heru Prasetyo, Deputy I for Planning and International Relations of the Presidential Work Unit for Development Control and Supervision (UKP4) said that his party accepted the Forestry Ministry attempt in recalculating annual carbon emission and absorption rate. Carbon in not expected to be a substitute, but a complementary project, he said.
Business News - August 10, 2012
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