Minister Of Environment And Forestry Siti Nurbaya Awarded ITCIKU Award

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - Minister of Environment and Forestry (LHK) Siti Nurbaya gave an award to PT ITCI Kartika Utama (ITCIKU) as the holder of forest utilization business licensing (PBPH), for its success in supporting the fulfillment of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) contribution which was set nationally through the natural forest cover approach.

"We congratulate Mr. Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Chairman and CEO of ARSARI GROUP, with ITCIKU's achievements as PBPH which have successfully managed PBPH with natural forest closure conditions that have increased significantly in the last 10 years. This shows the real contribution of the business world to reducing GRK emissions set nationally in Indonesia's NDC commitment," said Minister Siti when giving an award in Jakarta, Thursday, October 17.

Minister Siti expressed her joy because in the end the Government was able to find a pattern where in person and simply it could be proven in plain view how an activity or business is carried out by business entities, licensing holders of forest utilization to carry out climate actions with real results has increased their natural forest cover.

"That's what PT ITCIKU did. We have seen a video snapshot of the PT ITCIKU natural forest area area area and the analysis process including the field check carried out," he said.

Furthermore, Minister Siti said it was very important that we learn lessons by leading by sampling. This is not only important for Indonesia, but also for the global world; and this is also important for us, Indonesia shows the world, that this is a real action; that this is proof that lead by sampling can be done by the business world.

"Thank you ITCIKU, thank you Mr. Hashim Djojohadikusumo for this very good and very meaningful example of real action," he said.

On this occasion, the Chairman and CEO of ARSARI GROUP, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, said that the increase in natural forest cover in the ITCIKU concession in the past decade, reaching more than 115 percent, is clear evidence of his climate action at the field level. Currently, around 70 percent of the concessions are closed natural forests.

"We need evidence, not just a commitment. We prove that forestry concessions can play a real role in climate change mitigation," he said.

This climate action is a form of responsibility for future generations, including by continuing to ensure an increase in natural forest cover at the PT ITCIKU concession so that it can continue to play a role in reducing national emissions from the forestry sector.

"We have shown that our concessions have made a real contribution to the achievement of Indonesia's NDC targets, with a significant increase in the area of natural forest cover through various conservation and restoration activities, with resources from ourselves," he said.

"We have also shown leadership practices by providing examples (leading by expansion), where forestry concessions are one of the most important actors and are part of the government's climate action in fighting the global climate crisis with other countries," he continued.

The results of forest cover monitoring carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry periodically every year, show that within 2011 to 2023, the area of PT ITCI Kartika Utama (ITCIKU) has an increasing forest closure condition of 60,045 Ha, where in 2011 forested land cover of 63,610.2 Ha increased to 123,574.9 Ha in 2023. The closure of secondary dry land forest [natural forest] increased by 65,952.5 ha from 57,133.00 Ha in 2011 to 123,085.5 ha in 2023.

PT ITCI Kartika Utama as the holder of Forest Utilization Business Licensing is seen as carrying out activities in the context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a significant natural forest cover approach. Based on these considerations, the Decree of the Minister of Environment and Forestry gave an award to PT ITCI Kartika Utama for its success in supporting the fulfillment of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitment through the natural forest cover approach.

The awarding of PT ITCI Kartika Utama for its success in supporting the fulfillment of NDC commitments through the natural forest cover approach will be a model for other Forest Utilization Business Licensing (PBPH) holders to support the achievement of NDC in 2030 and as a global effort to overcome the problem of climate change.