Observer: SRUK and Forestry Ministry Key to Carbon Accounting Transparency

The Executive Director of The Reform Initiatives (TRI), Hadi Prayitno, assessed that the presence of the SRUK and the strategic role of the Ministry of Forestry are important to ensure transparent carbon accounting, avoid double claims, and connect carbon projects with the Indonesian carbon exchange. Hadi views the government’s policy of continuing to give carbon project owners the flexibility to use either international or national registries as the right decision. “The Indonesian government’s policy choice to give freedom to carbon project owners and developers to use international registry systems (such as VERRA, GOLD STANDARD, PLAN VIVO, etc.) or the national registry system (SRN-PPI) is a good choice,” Hadi said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday. He emphasised that the success of carbon trading, particularly in the forestry sector, is inseparable from the strategic role of the Ministry of Forestry. “This policy represents progress compared to the previous approach, which drew criticism from the international community,” he said. He noted that the policy is a welcome development, as there was previously negative sentiment from the international community when the government insisted that all carbon projects must be registered through the national system, while Indonesia was considered not yet to have a sufficiently robust methodology. “The launch of the SRUK is essentially to monitor the estimated carbon units when registered in the registry system, after verification, and when finally recognised/stipulated,” he stated. He stressed that the forestry sector is the backbone of Indonesia’s carbon trading because it has the largest potential for carbon credits compared to other sectors. Therefore, the role of the Ministry of Forestry is considered crucial for the success of its implementation. “For carbon trading in the forestry sector, the role of the Ministry of Forestry is very significant. Because the potential for carbon credits in the forestry sector, as recorded in the NDC, is the largest,” Hadi said. He explained that this potential comes from mineral forest areas, peat hydrological areas, and mangrove ecosystems located within forest areas.