Indonesia prepares biodiversity credit policy to support conservation
The ministry’s Deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control, Noer Adi Wardojo, said during a discussion in Jakarta on Thursday that a dedicated task force has been formed to develop the scheme and establish a regulatory framework for all ministries, agencies, and stakeholders.
“The environment minister is initiating this policy to ensure that the maximum benefits from carbon or biodiversity credits directly reach the communities at the grassroots level and genuinely serve to strengthen biodiversity conservation,” Noer said.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Environment has also consulted civil society groups, drawing from lessons learned in carbon trading implementation, ensuring the biodiversity credit policy practically benefits local communities.
“The principle is the same—we want to prevent middlemen from grabbing most of the benefits through lengthy, costly document preparation,” he said.
He assured that his ministry has already coordinated policy harmonization on biodiversity credits with relevant ministries and agencies.
This step comes as the world faces a triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
According to the Ministry of Environment, as a megadiverse country, Indonesia encompasses more than 22 ecosystem types and is home to 14 percent of the world’s mammal species and 18 percent of its bird species.
To guide the country’s biodiversity management, Indonesia has already introduced the Indonesian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) 2025–2045. The document serves as a cross-sectoral legal reference, promoting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to achieve sustainable development targets.
Through the IBSAP 2025–2045, conservation, sustainable use, and benefit-sharing efforts are integrated across government, business, academia, civil society, indigenous communities, and youth.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji