While world leaders are yet to agree on much-discussed forestry carbon credits, KeeptheHabitat, an Australian non-profit company, will launch a pilot project to promote the reduction of emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) on Friday. "There is a lot of talk (on forest carbon) but not much action. We have to do something before the official REDD scheme starts," the KeeptheHabitat chairman Nigel D. Turvey told The Jakarta Post earlier this week.

Indonesia is facing challenges meeting growing demand in the international market for certified palm oil products, as none of the country's producers have obtained sustainable palm oil certification. These certificates are issued by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a global and multi-stakeholder initiative on developing sustainable palm oil.

Pangkalpinang (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is facing a lack of experts in oil following the limited capacity of higher learning institutions in the country to produce skilled engineers employed in foreign oil mining companies. Prof Dr Sudarto Notosewiyo, Dean of the Mining and Oil Faculty of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), said here on Friday, adding that three higher learning institutions like ITB, UPN Veteran and Trisakti, produced only 280 to 300 oil engineers annually.

Manado, N Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The North Sulawesi provincial government has since 2005 approved 42 foreign investment projects worth Rp1.5 trillion (US$174.8 million), an official said. The projects were mostly engaged in the fishery and tourism sectors, Head of the Program Development Unit at the North Sulawesi Regional Investment and Cooperation Coordination Board (BKPMKR) Ridwan Zees said here on Friday.

Bali on Track to Achieving More than 2 Million Foreign Visitors in 2008. (8/30/2008) Foreign tourist arrivals for the month of July 2008 hit 183,122 making it the best July ever, improving +11.24% over last year's record-breaking performance for July 2007 (164,618). On a Year-to-date basis, January-July arrivals for 2008 have broken the psychological barrier of 1 million, recording 1,108.061 foreign arrivals for the first seven months of the year.

WALHI – Environmental Watchdog Present an 'Open Letter' to Governor Made Mangku Pastika. (8/30/2008) Beritabali.com reports that the Bali Chapter of Friends of the Earth Indonesia (WALHI) welcomed Bali's new Governor Made Pastika by delivering an "open letter" congratulating him on his appointment and serving notice on a number of pressing environmental issues facing the Island.