Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) has become a principal foundation for supporting the achievement of Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target, in line with the strategic role of the forestry and land-use sectors in the national greenhouse gas emissions reduction agenda.
This issue was highlighted during an Enviro Talk discussion organized by Enviro News, featuring Agus Justianto, Project Director of FOLU Net Sink 2030 and a Member of the Expert Advisory Council of Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030, as well as Diah Suradiredja, Secretary General of ATKARBONIST (the Association of Sustainable Carbon Business Practitioners), on Monday (December 29, 2025).
Agus Justianto explained that the FOLU Net Sink 2030 commitment emerged from the dynamics of global climate change negotiations, in which the forestry sector is regarded as the most visible and cost-effective sector for reducing emissions. This commitment aligns with the REDD+ framework and has evolved toward a nature-based solutions approach. “Indonesia possesses significant capital in the form of tropical rainforests. Based on studies and calculations conducted, the FOLU sector has become the mainstay of national greenhouse gas emissions reduction,” Agus stated.
He noted that approximately 60 percent of Indonesia’s emissions reduction burden lies within the FOLU sector. Accordingly, the government has positioned the FOLU Net Sink 2030 policy as an integral part of Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
The net sink target is defined as a condition in which carbon sequestration from the forestry and land-use sector is at least equal to, or greater than, the emissions released by 2030. Agus acknowledged that this target is ambitious, particularly given Indonesia’s long-term commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2060 or earlier. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the success of FOLU Net Sink 2030 is highly dependent on policy consistency and the support of all stakeholders.
“This is not merely a state-level commitment. Consistency in implementation at both national and subnational levels is key, as disturbances such as forest fires and forest degradation can affect the achievement of the target,” he said. In terms of implementation, Agus underscored the importance of SFM, which has served as a foundational principle of Indonesian forestry since the 1970s through forest land-use agreements and spatial planning frameworks.
The classification of production forests, protection forests, and conservation forests has been established based on scientific criteria such as rainfall, slope, and soil erodibility. “The concept of sustainable forest management has been formulated for a long time. The challenge lies in ensuring that this concept is applied consistently on the ground,” Agus remarked.
Meanwhile, Diah Suradiredja stated that FOLU Net Sink 2030 functions as a national policy compass for the business community and the carbon market. According to her, carbon markets are highly sensitive to policy direction certainty and credible governance. “FOLU Net Sink 2030 sends a strong signal that Indonesia positions forests and land as national climate solutions. This is crucial for the business sector, as carbon markets are built on trust and policy certainty,” Diah said.
She explained that carbon markets are not merely trading mechanisms, but alternative financing instruments designed to bridge limitations in public budgets, particularly for financing forest restoration, sustainable forest management, and ecosystem protection at the site level. Diah emphasized that community involvement is critical, as tangible emissions reduction actions take place on the ground.
According to her, carbon compensation funds are ultimately directed to support community efforts to protect forests from pressures such as deforestation, fires, and degradation. “Carbon markets represent compensation funding. The role of local communities at the site level is decisive in determining the additionality of emissions reduction efforts,” she explained.
With regard to governance, Diah highlighted the importance of data transparency and credibility. She noted that global investor confidence is determined by robust methodologies, strong monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, and regulatory certainty. “Carbon markets do not tolerate ambiguous data. Transparency is the primary foundation for ensuring that the system is credible in the eyes of both the public and the global community,” she said.
The discussion reaffirmed that FOLU Net Sink 2030 is not merely a technical target, but a reflection of Indonesia’s development direction, which seeks to balance economic growth, environmental protection, and global responsibility.
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