Minister Hanif Reveals ITPC Is A Center For Strengthening Green Economy And Control Of Global Emissions

JAKARTA The Indonesian government emphasized its strategic role in the global green economy through leadership at the International Tropical Peakland Center (ITPC).

The Minister of Environment/Head of BPLH, Hanif Faisol Nurofiq emphasized that the full operation of ITPC is not only an environmental effort, but also an economic instrument to reduce emissions and expand access to carbon financing.

According to Hanif, the management of tropical peat has the potential to become one of the pillars of Indonesia's new economy.

He said, peat which is able to store billions of tons of carbon has high economic value, especially when the global carbon market is increasingly aggressive in looking for a decline in natural-based emissions.

"ITPC is not just a research institution. This is a command center that connects knowledge, financing, and community empowerment to maintain the world's tropical carbon stock," said Hanif in a written statement received by VOI, Monday, November 17.

Indonesia is recorded to have restored more than 4.15 million hectares of peatlands by the end of 2024.

This investment not only reduces the risk of fires and economic losses, but also opens up opportunities for monetization through carbon trading schemes and international climate funding.

Technical efforts such as installing water face gauges, construction of canal barriers, to community empowerment through the Mandiri Peduli Gambut Village (DMPG) program are said to be a model that can be replicated by other tropical countries.

These activities have the potential to create new economic chains in the regions, ranging from restoration services, the use of sustainable peat products, to the development of carbon-based projects.

ITPC is expected to become an important node for tropical countries to consolidate scientific data as a carbon investment base to open wider access to global climate funding.

With the increasing global demand for natural-based carbon credit (nature-based solutions), Indonesia sees ITPC as an entry point for tropical countries to benefit from the economic benefits of peat conservation.

Untuk mempercepat operasional, Indonesia mengajak negara pendiri ITPC mengirimkan staf ahli serta menyepakati program percontohan (pilot project) restorasi gambut lintas negara.

Langkah ini dinilai penting untuk menciptakan standar teknis sekaligus memperbesar portofolio proyek yang dapat dikonversi menjadi nilai ekonomi melalui pasar karbon sukarela maupun regulasi.

To speed up operations, Indonesia invites the founding country ITPC to send expert staff and agree on a pilot project for cross-border peat restoration.

This step is considered important to create technical standards as well as enlarge the portfolio of projects that can be converted into economic value through voluntary carbon markets and regulations.