Three countries that control 52% of the world's tropical rainforests — Indonesia, Brazil, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — launched an alliance on forest management at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
The launch of the alliance, called "Tropical Forest for Climate and People", was carried out on the second day of COP27 at the Indonesian Pavilion to coincide with a High Level Segment agenda, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said through a video statement. The three countries are the largest owners of tropical forests, including peat and mangroves, in the world.
"We are committed to safeguarding and restoring tropical forests, which are critical assets while ensuring people's welfare," Pandjaitan said.
The aim of the alliance is to give value to each country's diversity and promote fair remuneration to the ecosystem services each country provides, especially through carbon credits from native forests. Therefore, it is important for these three countries to strengthen the strategic alliance to increase influence in climate change negotiations at the global level.
Pandjaitan said Indonesia has great capital to become a key player in carbon trading. He said Indonesia's blue carbon potential from marine ecosystems is very qualified. Indonesia, for example, has 3.3 million hectares of mangroves, which is 23% of the world's mangrove area.
"Mangroves are considered the most effective in storing and absorbing carbon. Mangroves are very potential for carbon trading schemes," Pandjaitan added.
Pandjaitan also invited representatives from the DRC and Brazil to meet in person on November 14, before the G20 Summit begins. The 17th meeting of Group of 20 will be held in Bali, Indonesia, from 15-16 November 2022.
Brazil's Deputy Minister of Environment Marcus Paranagua said that this alliance had been initiated since COP26 in November 2021 in Glasgow. Today, the three countries announced the agreement although some details are yet to be finalized.
"Tropical rainforest owners must be the leaders of negotiations related to carbon trading and restoration at the international level," said Paranagua at the launch of the alliance.
This story was produced as part of the 2022 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organized by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. It was first published in Bahasa Indonesia by Katadata.co.id on 8 November 2022 and has been translated to English and lightly edited for length and clarity.
Banner image: Leaders from Indonesia, Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo shake hands / Credit: Katadata.
Rezza Aji Pratama
