Industrial countries release CO2, and the gas is then being absorbed by forests in Indonesia and other developing countries. But there are no incentives yet, so actually we give them great donation,” Said Kaban in Jakarta, yesterday, speaking as keynote speaker in one day seminar of “Raising Initiatives of Voluntary Carbon Trading” conducted by Indonesian Ecolabeling Institute and Forestry Department’s Koperasi Perumahan Wanabakti Nusantara (KPWN). According to him, industrial countries that release CO2 emissions put their concern over deforestation issues only. While on the other hand, the efforts conducted by the developing countries in protecting their forest’s sustainability are not appropriately appreciated. “Our environmental activists are supposed to voice out the imbalance compensation over carbon emission,” he said.

Therefore, all stakeholders interested in environmental issues, including forestry department and environmental activists, must urge the industrial countries to pay attention on the carbon absorption incentives. ”It must be balanced. The industrial countries release emission, our forest absorbs the carbon, there must be incentives as a compensation,” he said. The study of UN FAO in 2006 reveals the fact that forest areas and the underlying soil all over the world have saved more than 1 trillion ton of carbon. This means twice as many in the atmosphere. Meanwhile, forest damages add around 6 billion ton of CO2 to the atmosphere annually. Kaban explains that if calculated from the economy perspective, carbon trade clearly gives benefit. ”Unfortunately up to know we have not recieved the benefit (from carbon trading scheme). There are many carbon trading concepts being developed, but all are still lack of socialization,” he said. (Devita)

“Therefore, we must find an alternative fundraising scheme for carbon trading aside of REDD,” said Forestry Minister M. S. Kaban after opening a national seminar on Raising Initiatives on Voluntary Carbon Trading, in Manggala Wanabakti, yesterday.

The alternative scheme, he said, should be prepared from due to the fact that REDD scheme does not necessarily benefits Indonesia. “If I can be frankly, we are amazed with REDD, but it is difficult to execute plus it does not give much benefits. We must find a simple, inexpensive scheme capable of saving the forests. Other than that, we still have to prevent deforestation, and at the same time still benefits the community,” said Kaban.

With REDD scheme, according to Kaban, Indonesia expects to receive foreign fund up to US$ 3,75 billion (Rp. 33,75 trillion) per year. However, he could not elaborate what is the real value in the form of money that can be received by Indonesians who already protected the forest area.
“REDD can be the one of the ways to obtain foreign fund to manage forest. In other word, our forest absorbs the carbon, but we get no fee due to the complicated scheme,” he said.
“We also urge the developed countries that have been, to date, received benefit from Indonesian forests, in where their emissions have been absorbed, to provide incentive. The problem is, we can not wait. Therefore, we must find a simpler and inexpensive alternative scheme,” said Kaban.

Inexpensive alternative scheme, according to him, does not have to come from the government, such as REDD, but it can also come from other institutions such as Indonesian Ecolabeling Institute (LEI). LEI is expected to be capable of setting up voluntary carbon trade.
In addition to that, according to him, LEI is expected to prepare regulations on state and community forest certification before we enter international carbon trading market.

”By trying alternative scheme leading to voluntary carbon trading, we can involve the community to protect forest areas. I believe LEI can arrange a voluntary carbon trading scheme,” he said.
According to the minister, the cooperation between LEI and Koperasi Perumahan Wana Nusantara (KPWN) of which manages the planting system based on tree stem management principles, can provide the plot or real example of the voluntary carbon trading scheme.

Carbon Certification
Forestry expert from Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), Teddy Rusolono, said that the currently applied carbon trading scheme involves at least ten stakeholders, from sellers to buyers. ”Therefore, the voluntary carbon trading scheme should be able to cut the red tape and reduce administrational costs,” he said.
LEI Executive Director, Daru Asycarya, said that LEI is at the moment setting up the alternative scheme of voluntary carbon trading mentioned earlier by Kaban. In addition to that, LEI is developing carbon certification standard for community based forests. (erwin.tambunan@bisnis.co.id)