JAKARTA — Researchers looking into how Indonesia calculates its greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands and mangroves say they’ve identified ways for a more accurate accounting that will help the country meet its emissions reduction goals and refine its climate policies. Indonesia is a major emitter of GHGs, mainly due to the deforestation and burning of its rainforests. To help limit global warming to 1.5° Celsius (2.7° Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement, Indonesia has committed to slashing emissions by 31.89% by 2030, or by 43.2% with international support. About half of Indonesia’s GHG emissions come from deforestation, forest and peat fires, and land-use changes, so the bulk of the country’s emission reduction is expected to come this sector, known as FOLU, or “forest and other land use.” The government aims to do this by curbing forest loss and fires and by intensifying reforestation efforts. The goal is for Indonesia’s forests to absorb more carbon than they release by 2030, a target known as Indonesia’s FOLU net sink 2030. Accurate and transparent measurement of carbon emissions and removal is crucial, especially for Indonesia’s vast wetland ecosystems, which include 14% of the world’s tropical peatlands and 22% of its mangroves. These ecosystems store large amounts of carbon and are central to Indonesia’s climate policies. Daniel Murdiyarso, a principal scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), calls peatlands and mangroves “key ecosystems” due to their significant carbon storage, sequestering a combined total of…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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