Indonesia Promotes High-Integrity Forest Carbon Investments at New York Business Forum
Indonesia continues to strengthen forestry diplomacy and the development of forest-based carbon trade through the promotion of sustainable forest management potential at the international level. These efforts were undertaken through the Business Forum on Carbon Market held in New York, United States, on Monday (11/5/2026), as part of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) 2026 activities. The forum brought together government, forestry business actors, investors, emissions trading associations, and international partners to discuss opportunities for developing carbon projects in Indonesia’s forestry sector.
Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni emphasised that Indonesia is now entering a new era of forest management that no longer relies solely on timber production, but also on carbon value, environmental services, biodiversity, and community-based green economy. According to him, Indonesia possesses around 120 million hectares of tropical forests, which are one of the world’s most important climate assets and are ready to be part of the global climate change solution. “Indonesia’s forests are ready to become a destination for international investment,” said Raja Juli Antoni at the Indonesia–IETA Business Forum and Indonesia America Chamber of Commerce (IACC) in New York. He added that the government has issued Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 6 of 2026 as a foundation for strengthening transparent, integrated, and legally certain forestry sector carbon trade.
He explained that the regulation opens opportunities for developing Indonesian forestry carbon credits that align with international standards while strengthening the implementation of Multi-Business Forestry (MUK) as a new paradigm for sustainable forest management. Through this approach, forest areas can be developed for various income sources such as non-timber forest products, environmental services, ecotourism, and carbon trade. “Indonesia is not asking for pity, but offering partnerships supported by national commitments, legal certainty, and Indonesia’s biodiversity wealth,” he said. Raja Juli emphasised that these steps are part of Indonesia’s efforts to support the FOLU Net Sink 2030 target while strengthening the competitiveness of national green investments in the global market.
Director General of Sustainable Forest Management at the Ministry of Forestry, Laksmi Wijayanti, affirmed that Indonesia is opening global partnership opportunities to strengthen carbon trade and nature-based financing (nature finance) through sustainable forest management. According to her, Indonesia has forest areas covering around 63 percent of the national land area, which is a crucial asset in developing a green economy based on forestry. “Indonesia is currently developing multi-business forestry management, where carbon becomes one of the economic value sources that complements sustainable forest management, along with timber forest products, non-timber forest products, environmental services, and community economic empowerment,” said Laksmi. She added that the government has issued Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 6 of 2026 on Procedures for Carbon Trading through Greenhouse Gas Emission Offsets in the Forestry Sector to provide regulatory certainty for ongoing and new carbon projects within an integrated national framework. “The government’s current focus is to accelerate implementation, strengthen operational guidelines, build market trust, and facilitate credible and high-integrity partnerships,” she said.
Meanwhile, APHI General Chairman Soewarso stated that the issuance of Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 6 of 2026 is an important milestone in accelerating the development of Indonesia’s forestry sector carbon market while providing certainty for businesses in developing high-integrity carbon projects. According to him, APHI along with all its members is ready to support the development of quality carbon initiatives that can make real contributions to Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets. “APHI and all members are fully committed to promoting high-integrity and quality carbon initiatives, so they can make significant contributions to Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets,” said Soewarso. He added that acceptance in both domestic and international markets is an important factor in supporting the growth of Indonesia’s forestry carbon trade, while opening investment opportunities in peat restoration projects, forest rehabilitation, and sustainable forest management that can produce high-quality carbon credits.
APHI Secretary General Purwadi Soeprihanto emphasised that Indonesia’s forestry concession areas have great potential to support carbon project development, with at least 48.69 million hectares of potential area for greenhouse gas emission reduction projects and around 3.5 million hectares of potential area for carbon removal projects. According to him, carbon projects must be positioned as part of multi-business forestry development that supports community livelihoods while strengthening climate change mitigation financing. “Carbon must be part of multi-business forestry and developed through strong landscape governance, accurate spatial planning, and supported by international cooperation and investment to produce high-integrity carbon credits,” said Purwadi. He added that international collaboration is very necessary to accelerate the development of peat restoration, mangrove rehabilitation, sustainable forest management, and forest rehabilitation projects, while strengthening investments and regulatory certainty are important factors to increase the attractiveness of Indonesian carbon projects in the global market.
The business forum was also attended by representatives of the Indonesian government, forestry business actors, international investors, emissions trading associations, and several strategic partners from the United States. Through this forum,