carbon trading Opens Economic Opportunities for Forest Residents, Approval Exceeds 31.7 Million Tons

YOGYAKARTA, GARISBUMI.com – carbon trading is an opportunity to expand the economic benefits of forests for society. The Ministry of Forestry said that approval for carbon units that meet the requirements for issuing international carbon certificates through the non-SPE-GRK scheme has covered a volume of more than 31.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e).

This coverage consists of three forest utilization business licensing (PBPH) carbon units and one social forestry carbon unit in the form of village forests in Jambi Province. The village forest carbon unit involves more than 900 family heads.

Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki said that developing the economic value of carbon is part of the transformation of the forestry economy. The aim is for forest conservation to provide real, measurable and tangible benefits to the surrounding community.

This message was conveyed at the 63rd Anniversary Open Senate Meeting of the Faculty of Forestry, Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Friday (9/10/2026). This activity has the theme "Utilization of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Community Welfare".

"Our job is not just to protect forests. Our job is to make the sustainable value of forests visible, measurable and payable, as well as making local communities more prosperous," said Rohmat.

According to him, forests will be better protected if sustainable management is able to provide greater economic benefits than forest destruction or conversion. Therefore, the development of a forestry economy needs to respect all the potential in a natural landscape.

This potential includes timber forest products, non-timber forest products, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Forests, peatlands and mangroves, for example, absorb and store carbon while maintaining ecological functions that support people's lives.