Ecobiz.asia — Indonesia is moving to develop biodiversity credits as a potential financing mechanism for national park conservation, with the Ministry of Forestry now working on the governance and legal framework needed to ensure the emerging instrument delivers measurable and high-integrity conservation outcomes.
The initiative marks a further step in the government’s efforts to diversify conservation financing after it designated 13 national parks and two conservation landscapes for iconic species as pilot locations for innovative financing. The government has said existing funding covers only about 26% of the ideal financing needs for national park management.
The development of biodiversity credits was discussed at a meeting of the Task Force for Innovation in National Park Financing and Management in Jakarta on Tuesday (Sept. 15, 2026), attended by Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki, who is also a member of the task force.
Rohmat said biodiversity credits could connect measurable conservation outcomes with new sources of funding, including from private-sector companies seeking to support verified conservation results.
“Through biodiversity credits, positive conservation outcomes can be measured and then serve as a basis for opening up new sources of financing. This creates an opportunity for more parties to invest in protecting Indonesia’s biodiversity,” Rohmat said.
The task force has designated Gunung Leuser, Ujung Kulon, Way Kambas, Sebangau, Tanjung Puting, Komodo, Wakatobi, Lorentz, Gunung Rinjani, Bromo Tengger Semeru, Manusela, Mutis Timau and Mamberamo Foja as priority national parks. Two additional landscapes focused on iconic species are also included in the pilot programme. Each location is expected to adopt financing models tailored to its ecosystem, carbon potential, community conditions and management needs.
The government has been exploring biodiversity credits since late 2025 as a new financing instrument for conservation. The Ministry of Environment previously said it was studying international experience in developing a credible biodiversity credit system rather than simply replicating existing global models.
By April 2026, the government had identified three potential implementation pathways: a mandatory scheme covering conservation obligations within business activities, biodiversity offsets for restoring ecosystems affected by economic activities, and voluntary biodiversity credits involving communities, local governments and the private sector.
Rohmat said the next stage requires a strong governance structure and legal basis. The Ministry of Forestry is preparing regulations covering biodiversity utilisation, licensing procedures, site selection and the structure of non-tax state revenue (PNBP).
The ministry is also positioning biodiversity credits within a broader conservation financing portfolio rather than treating them as a standalone funding source. The portfolio is expected to include public funding, carbon finance, philanthropy, responsible private investment, sustainable tourism and nature-based businesses.
“Biodiversity credits are not merely financial assets, but an important natural capital instrument to ensure high-integrity and sustainable returns over the long term for Indonesia’s tropical rainforests and the communities that act as stewards of nature,” Rohmat said.
The approach is consistent with the government’s broader strategy to use multiple financing instruments for priority national parks. Earlier this year, the government identified Way Kambas National Park as an initial blended-finance project combining biodiversity-related financing, international voluntary carbon credits and conservation-based ecotourism.
The Ministry of Forestry has also been expanding the regulatory framework for environmental and carbon finance in conservation areas. Regulation No. 7/2026, issued in April, revised rules on environmental service utilisation in conservation areas and sought to simplify carbon trading while maintaining environmental safeguards and legal certainty.
Rohmat said conservation would remain the priority in developing biodiversity credits. Regulatory strengthening and collaboration with stakeholders are intended to create a transparent and high-integrity financing mechanism that can support national park management, ecosystem restoration and sustainable benefits for local communities and biodiversity.
The task force meeting was also attended online by Task Force Chairman Hashim Djojohadikusumo and Deputy Chairman Mari Elka Pangestu. Representatives from the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), WWF Indonesia and several foreign ambassadors also attended the meeting. ***
