We need to watch out for this sort of thingJakarta (ANTARA) - Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar has urged stakeholders to remain cautious against greenwashing practices, considering that many developed countries and private sector players are keen on purchasing carbon from Indonesia.
"Many developed countries and private sectors (players) are keen on buying carbon from Indonesian forests because it is considered cheaper compared to actually reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by themselves. We need to watch out for this sort of thing," the minister informed.
She delivered the statement during the national technical meeting on climate change control here on Wednesday.
Greenwashing is a marketing or communication strategy in which a company paints itself as an eco-friendly entity — whether through its products, values, or goals — without actually doing anything that contributes to environmental sustainability.
Minister Bakar urged stakeholders participating in the forestry sector to prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions and asked them to refuse to encourage such a strategy.
According to her, the entities that indulge in greenwashing practices continue to conduct their own businesses, which generate a lot of carbon, because they are of the opinion that buying carbon from the forestry sector is an easy solution.
Indonesia, which has large swathes of forests, such as in West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and Papua, needs to remain cautious of that practice, she said.
The ministry has prepared some measures to counter greenwashing practices in Indonesia. For example, it is using the National Registry System to record each greenhouse gas reduction activity.
Every activity needs to be reported on the system so as to monitor the efforts toward improving national conditions as well as preventing global temperatures from rising beyond 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Moreover, the minister has also set an emission reduction goal, as outlined in the nationally determined contribution (NDC) document, which lists actions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change.
In 2022, Indonesia socialized its enhanced NDC target, under which, it is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 31.89 percent on its own and by 43.20 percent through global assistance.
Other efforts that the ministry has taken include conducting monitoring, reporting, and verification; controlling the process of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognition; and issuing Emission Reduction Certification.
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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Sri Haryati
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