Minister of Forestry Affirms Readiness for Carbon Investment and Multi-Business Forestry at Indonesia Business Forum in New York
Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry has affirmed its commitment to building credible, transparent, and internationally standardised governance for forestry carbon trading at the Indonesia Business Forum - International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and Indonesia America Chamber of Commerce (IACC) in New York, United States.
In his statement, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni conveyed that Indonesia is entering a new chapter in forest management that no longer focuses solely on timber but also on carbon value, biodiversity, environmental services, and sustainable green economy.
“Indonesia possesses around 120 million hectares of tropical forest, opening opportunities for global partnerships in climate investment and sustainable forestry business development,” said Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni at the forum held at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York on Monday (11/5) local time.
The Forestry Minister explained that the issuance of Ministerial Regulation No. 6 of 2026 marks an important milestone in the transformation of Indonesia’s forestry sector. The regulation provides legal certainty for business actors in producing, verifying, and trading carbon credits from forestry concession areas, including natural production forests, industrial plantation forests, and social forestry areas.
The regulation also strengthens the integration of the national carbon market with international standards, including ICVCM principles and Article 6 mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. Thus, Indonesian forestry carbon credits are expected to become increasingly competitive in the global carbon market.
In addition to carbon trading, the Ministry of Forestry is promoting the development of multi-business forestry schemes. This scheme allows permit holders for forest utilisation to develop various revenue sources simultaneously, from non-timber forest products, environmental services, ecotourism, to bioeconomy products such as biochar and sustainable biomass energy.
According to the Minister, the multi-business forestry approach will enhance investment attractiveness by providing revenue diversification while strengthening Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aspects in Indonesia’s forestry business model.
The Indonesian government also reaffirmed the strengthening of forestry governance through the submission of the Forest Reference Emission Level to the UNFCCC, the operationalisation of the National Registry System (SRN), and Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target to make the forestry and land use sector a net carbon sink by the end of this decade.
The event held at the Indonesian Consulate General in New York served as a platform for Indonesian forestry business actors to present the vast potential of national carbon credits while building international market confidence in the implementation of Indonesia’s carbon economic value.
APHI General Chairman Soewarso, in his remarks, stated that the issuance of Ministerial Regulation No. 6 of 2026 marks a new historical milestone in accelerating the carbon market in the forestry sector. This regulation provides procedural certainty for business actors to conduct carbon trading through greenhouse gas emission offset schemes.
“APHI and all its members are fully committed to developing carbon initiatives with high integrity and credibility. We want to ensure that carbon credits produced from Indonesian forests are recognised globally and provide real benefits for ecology and the community’s economy,” said Soewarso in front of the forum participants.
Head of the Public Relations and International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Forestry, Ristianto Pribadi, stated that the business forum is an important momentum to expand Indonesia’s green investment networks while strengthening Indonesia’s position as one of the world’s centres for forestry-based carbon economy development.
“Indonesia is not offering assistance, but strategic partnerships supported by government commitment, regulatory certainty, and vast tropical forest resource potential,” said Ristianto.
The Business Forum on Carbon Market and Forest Products, organised at the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York, featured leaders and experts from leading organisations in carbon, environmental markets, and forestry products, namely: ACT Commodities, Anew, Bloomberg, CTrees, Cultivo, Emergent, IETA, Intercontinental Exchange, Lombard Odier, OPIS, Rubicon Carbon, S&P Global, Verra, We Mean Business Coalition, and Xpansiv.
Accompanying the Forestry Minister at the Business Forum on Carbon Market and Forest Products were the Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York, Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, Senior Advisor to the Forestry Minister, Head of the Public Relations and International Cooperation Bureau, Chairman of the Indonesian Forest Entrepreneurs Association, and Chairman of the Indonesian Pulp and Paper Association.