KKP Partners with Rubicon Carbon to Strengthen Blue Carbon Development in Indonesia

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), through its Directorate of Marine Management, is exploring the development of high-integrity blue carbon innovation projects with Rubicon Carbon, a carbon solutions company from the United States. This move represents the government’s commitment to developing blue carbon programmes as a development instrument while supporting climate change mitigation actions. The collaboration between KKP and Rubicon Carbon has the potential to attract investment in the carbon sector, technology development, and innovative financing to improve the quality of national blue carbon ecosystem management, including mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. KKP is also currently preparing regulations for the implementation of the Carbon Economic Value Instrument through a revision of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Regulation Number 1 of 2025 concerning Procedures for Implementing Carbon Economic Value in the Marine Sector. One of the current development focuses is the revitalisation of Java’s North Coast coastal areas through mangrove restoration combined with improvements to pond aquaculture systems. This programme is directed at restoring coastal areas that have suffered decades of degradation while increasing carbon absorption capacity and the economic productivity of local communities, said Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono in an official statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. During a meeting with the Rubicon Carbon team at the KKP office, Trenggono outlined several national carbon programmes, including plans for large-scale mangrove restoration projects on Java’s North Coast and strengthening the management of marine conservation areas. He noted that the use of monitoring technology to measure the condition of mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs will be a crucial part of compiling credible blue carbon data that meets international standards. Through the partnership with Rubicon Carbon, KKP will explore 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. Flora Ji, Head of Asia and Head of Asset Management at Rubicon Carbon, stated that the company sees this as true leadership in restoring and conserving mangroves and looks forward to collaborating with KKP to develop high-quality landscape-scale projects in Indonesia. She expressed hope that the project could become a world-class example of how similar solutions can be replicated to restore mangroves in other parts of the world. Chief Market Relations Officer Filipe Blackwood Oliveira added that the company is committed to helping improve community welfare, ensuring that economic benefits are felt by the people not just now, but 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 main 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.