Indonesia Launches Carbon Registry to Boost Forest Carbon Trading

Indonesia officially launched the Carbon Unit Registration System (SRUK) on 9 July 2026 to strengthen governance of the national carbon market. The system records carbon unit estimates, verification and certification, linking them to the IDX Carbon exchange to avoid double‑counting and improve market transparency.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the scheme is open to forest concessions, social‑forestry groups and customary forest communities, noting that “carbon trading is not only for elite, but also for people at the bottom of the forest.” Four Forest Utilisation Business Permits (PBPH) have been issued – three for concession‑scale operators and one for a community‑level social‑forestry group – covering about 8.3 million ha of social forestry and 1.4 million ha of customary forests.

Experts praised the flexibility of allowing projects to use either the national registry or international ones such as Verra, calling it a strategic move. Hadi Prayitno of The Reform Initiatives said, “The choice to give owners freedom to use international or national registries is a good policy.” He also warned that the system should not add bureaucratic layers and suggested an independent carbon authority linked to the OJK.

The government projects the carbon market could attract up to US$5.8 billion of green investment and reduce emissions by roughly 570 million tons of CO₂‑equivalent, positioning Indonesia as a potential hub for global carbon trading.