Ecobiz.asia – Indonesia’s Riau provincial government is urging the central government to accelerate registration of its GREEN for Riau forest carbon program under the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions–The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (ART-TREES), saying prospective international buyers are waiting for progress on the initiative.

Riau Regional Secretary Syahrial Abdi said the provincial government had prepared the required documents and policy support and was waiting to proceed to the next stage of registration, which could help the province bring its forest carbon potential to international markets.

“Even if we have to wait, we hope it will not take too long,” Syahrial said during the GREEN Connect #4 webinar organized by GREEN for Riau on Tuesday (Oct. 27, 2026).

He said Riau had received approval from Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry to use the ART-TREES standard, but the program’s registration process still needed to be completed before it could advance further toward the carbon market.

Syahrial said Riau hoped to become the first Indonesian province to complete the process, potentially providing lessons for other regions developing jurisdictional REDD+ programs. Jurisdictional approaches cover emissions-reduction activities across an administrative territory rather than individual projects alone.

Launched in May 2025 with support from the UN-REDD Programme and funding from the UK government, GREEN for Riau aims to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation across the province.

Syahrial said the provincial government had incorporated green development priorities into its long-term and medium-term development plans and aligned them with planning documents at the district and municipal levels. Riau has also prepared a REDD+ strategy and action plan linked to Indonesia’s Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 target.

The province has strengthened budget support by earmarking spending across relevant government agencies. Implementation involves development planning officials, environmental and forestry agencies, district and municipal governments, and Indigenous communities.

Syahrial said access to carbon markets also required safeguards for local communities and fair benefit-sharing. Riau was therefore emphasizing free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) and the participation of diverse community groups. The provincial government is also seeking to align private-sector activities with the jurisdictional approach to ensure consistency in implementation and data.

At the same webinar, Novia Widyaningtyas, an expert adviser to the forestry minister on forestry industry revitalization, said carbon finance must be underpinned by environmental integrity, accountable governance and social safeguards.

“Environmental integrity is extremely important to maintain, and ultimately it will be what is at stake for us,” Novia said.

She said financing for Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 agenda could come through several mechanisms, including results-based payments (RBP) and carbon trading, which follow different procedures and requirements.

Under RBP schemes, funding is provided for emissions reductions that have been measured, reported and verified. Carbon trading, meanwhile, allows eligible mitigation outcomes to be certified as carbon units that can be traded, subject to applicable requirements.

Novia added that jurisdictional REDD+ in Riau needed to be integrated with the province’s green industrial policies. Technical readiness, regulatory compliance, environmental and social safeguards, and equitable benefit-sharing would be important to ensure carbon finance contributes to sustainable development.

Completing ART-TREES registration would mark a key step toward Riau’s participation in international carbon markets. Access to buyers, however, will depend on the completion of the registration process and compliance with the standard’s requirements. ***