Indonesia and Japan are deepening their collaboration on forest-based carbon projects, aiming to bolster climate action, ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, and the enhancement of local livelihoods. This initiative is part of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), which seeks to produce high-quality carbon credits within the framework of international climate agreements.

The partnership was highlighted during discussions between Indonesia’s Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki and Japan’s Environment Deputy Minister Hiroshi Ono at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye. Indonesia has laid out a comprehensive strategy to restore 12 million hectares of degraded land and curb deforestation across an expansive 50 million hectares. This plan also involves integrating carbon projects with social forestry programs covering 8.3 million hectares and developing 1.4 million hectares of customary forests.

Both nations are exploring the potential inclusion of peatlands and mangrove ecosystems in their carbon projects. Indonesia is keen to attract Japanese investment, aiming to deliver dependable carbon credits while simultaneously supporting environmental conservation and sustainable community development.

This cooperative effort is anticipated to aid Japan in achieving its goal of securing carbon credits equivalent to 100 million tonnes of CO₂ by 2030. Concurrently, it advances Indonesia’s ambition for extensive ecosystem restoration, showcasing the mutual benefits of their partnership.