Environment Ministry to Develop Biodiversity Credit Policy to Support Conservation on the Ground

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Environment (KLH) is preparing a policy on biodiversity credits that could support conservation efforts and deliver benefits to communities on the ground.

Noer Adi Wardojo, Deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at KLH and the Environmental Control Agency (BPLH), said at a discussion in Jakarta on Thursday that a task force had been formed to prepare the development of a biodiversity credit scheme in Indonesia. The ministry is also drafting an overarching policy framework for use by ministries, agencies and other stakeholders.

“As with carbon credits, the Environment Minister has initiated a policy to ensure that the benefits from carbon credits or biodiversity credits can be fully enjoyed by the communities concerned — at local level — and genuinely used to strengthen biodiversity conservation,” Noer Adi said.

The policy is expected to ensure that local actors, particularly communities involved in protecting biodiversity, receive the full benefits of the financing scheme and that profits do not instead go to intermediaries.

“The principle is the same: we want to prevent the benefits going to middlemen, while the costs of preparing documentation over a long period become substantial,” he said.

He said KLH was working with relevant ministries and agencies to harmonise policies on biodiversity credits.

The initiative comes as the world faces three planetary crises: climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss. Indonesia has launched its Indonesian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) 2025–2045 as a guide for biodiversity management.