KKP Explores Blue Carbon Project Cooperation with Rubicon Carbon
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) is exploring cooperation on developing high-integrity blue carbon projects with US-based carbon solutions company Rubicon Carbon, as part of efforts to expand investment and the carbon market in the marine sector.
Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono stated in Jakarta on Wednesday that the synergy has the potential to attract investment in carbon, technology development, and innovative financing to improve the quality of national blue carbon ecosystem management, including mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs.
During a meeting with Rubicon Carbon representatives at the KKP office in Jakarta on Tuesday, Trenggono said one current development focus is the revitalisation of the North Coast of Java through mangrove restoration combined with improvements to pond aquaculture systems. “This programme is directed at restoring coastal areas that have experienced degradation for decades, while simultaneously increasing carbon absorption capacity and the economic productivity of coastal communities,” he said.
According to Trenggono, the use of monitoring technology to assess the condition of mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs will be an important part of compiling credible blue carbon data that meets international standards. As part of the exploration, KKP and Rubicon Carbon will discuss the preparation of feasibility studies, development of pilot projects, investment mobilisation, and access to international carbon markets.
These stages are expected to produce blue carbon projects that meet global standards and can attract carbon credit buyers from the early stages of development. On the regulatory side, KKP is also revising Ministerial Regulation No. 1 of 2025 concerning Procedures for the Implementation of Carbon Economic Value in the marine sector as the basis for developing blue carbon instruments.
Head of Asia and Head of Asset Management at Rubicon Carbon Flora Ji said the company sees Indonesia as having a great opportunity to become a world-class example of mangrove restoration project development. “We very much look forward to working with KKP and exploring how to develop high-quality landscape-level projects in Indonesia. We hope to make it a world-class example of how to replicate these solutions to restore mangroves globally,” she said.
Chief Market Relations Officer at Rubicon Carbon Filipe Blackwood Oliveira said the company is committed to supporting projects that not only generate environmental benefits but also improve community welfare in the long term. KKP emphasised that all blue carbon development will prioritise sustainability principles, good governance, and the active involvement of coastal communities as the primary beneficiaries. Through collaboration between the government, communities, and the private sector, blue carbon development is expected to become an important instrument in achieving national climate targets while strengthening Indonesia’s blue economy growth.