Ecobiz.asia — Verra is preparing to issue the first carbon credits under Indonesia’s newly implemented carbon market regulations after three forestry projects secured government approval to participate in international carbon trading.
The three projects—the Katingan Peatland Restoration and Conservation Project, the Sumatra Merang Peatland Project (SMPP), and The Mayas Project—are expected to receive at least 20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) in verified emission reductions across their respective verification periods.
The issuance follows Indonesia’s implementation of a new regulatory framework requiring forestry carbon projects to obtain approval from the Ministry of Forestry before international carbon credits can be issued.
Under the regulations, project developers must register with the ministry and obtain authorization to ensure alignment with Indonesia’s national greenhouse gas accounting framework and climate commitments. Once approval is granted, Verra can authorize the verified emission reductions and issue the corresponding carbon credits.
All three projects have now received the necessary approvals under Indonesia’s updated carbon market regulations.
“I congratulate the Indonesian government for developing a model that supports the growth of high-integrity carbon projects and reinforces national oversight and accountability, while also demonstrating interoperability,” Mandy Rambharos, Chief Executive Officer of Verra, said in a statement as quoted on Tuesday (July 7, 2026).
“By combining the rigor and global reach of an independent crediting program like Verra’s with the transparency of Indonesia’s domestic registry system, project developers and buyers alike can have greater confidence and trust in the market. Ultimately, this will help scale emission reductions while channeling climate finance to communities across Indonesia,” she said.
Indonesia’s Director General of Sustainable Forest Management, Laksmi Wijayanti, said the issuance represents a milestone in implementing the country’s reformed carbon market framework.
“The launch of the first forestry carbon credits under our reformed national carbon market regulations represents a significant step forward in Indonesia’s climate and sustainable development agenda,” she said.
“By aligning international best practices with our robust domestic oversight, we are demonstrating that high-integrity carbon markets can deliver real, measurable emissions reductions while upholding full national accountability.”
Laksmi added that Indonesia welcomed its collaboration with Verra to expand nature-based climate solutions while ensuring that carbon finance benefits local communities and supports forest and peatland conservation.
To strengthen transparency and prevent double counting, Indonesia will also record the issued credits through its national carbon registry.
Verra and the Ministry of Forestry, together with relevant government agencies, are developing an application programming interface (API) that will enable automatic data exchange between the Verra Registry and Indonesia’s national carbon registry, ensuring seamless tracking and reporting of carbon credits under both systems. ***
