Indonesia outlines 12.7 million ha forest recovery target at COP30

Yogyakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Forestry has reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to rehabilitating 12.7 million hectares of forest land at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.In a statement cited here on Thursday, Principal Advisor to Minister of Forestry Silverius Oscar Unggul noted that the Indonesian government has decided to pursue regenerative forestry as part of efforts to achieve the target.”Regenerative agroforestry is the best middle ground, through which we can simultaneously recover forests and stimulate people’s economy,” he said at a COP30 session titled “South–South Partnership on Climate Change—Promoting Green Value Chains.”During the event, attended by Brazilian and Chinese representatives, he explained that the regenerative approach seeks to restore forest ecosystems while improving livelihoods by cultivating timber trees alongside economically valuable crops such as coffee, cocoa, and nutmeg.Unggul then stressed that Indonesia stands ready to help develop global green value chains and reinforce solidarity among tropical countries in the face of global regulatory dynamics, emphasizing the importance of close cooperation.”There will be no green transformation in the absence of collaboration. It is crucial that producing countries and consuming states align their steps toward deforestation-free trade,” he stated.Furthermore, the Indonesian representative underscored the need to ensure that global standards and mechanisms concerning environmental sustainability take into account the interests of local people.”Green transition must be fair. We should not abandon smallholders and traditional communities in this grand agenda,” he affirmed.During the same session, China highlighted its role as a producing country by showcasing advances in green trade, including pledges from more than 100 companies to remove deforestation and ecosystem conversion from supply chains by 2030.This progress paves the way for stronger cooperation with Indonesia, which plays an important role as a consumer and partner in sustainable sourcing.