Community Forest Program: Fertilizer Industry Efforts to Support Reducing Carbon Gas Emissions

Currently, carbon emissions are one of the contributors to climate change and warming, along with greenhouse gas emissions. Both cause an increase in the earth’s temperature, or what is called the greenhouse effect. For this reason, various efforts to reduce carbon emissions continue to be carried out by several groups, including PT Pupuk Kalimantan Timur (PKT).

As a concrete form of implementing Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG), PKT, which is the pioneer of the green transformation of the country’s petrochemical industry, has again launched its latest innovation. This time, PKT launched a program aimed at reducing carbon emissions entitled Community Forest, by collaborating with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) to plant 10 million trees by 2030.

PKT President Director Rahmad Pribadi said PKT would continue to consistently make sustainable innovations to achieve carbon emission reduction targets through various supporting programs. Various initiatives in the ESG corridor have been launched by PKT, all of which aim to realize the company’s commitment to green transformation.

“After we previously enlarged the mix of operational electric energy from new renewable energy through Solar Power Plants (PLTS) Roofs and electric motorbikes, now the most recent is through this Community Forest program. Later, this program is expected to contribute to the potential absorption of carbon emissions of 5,379 tons of CO2 per year,” said Rahmad Pribadi.

In addition to reducing carbon emissions through planting productive perennials, the Community Forest program also aims to protect biodiversity, increase welfare by involving local communities and provide added economic value to less productive land.

Profile of Community Forest Program Drivers

One of the partners supporting the implementation of the Community Forest program is the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). The TNI Commander, General Andika Perkasa, directly provided his support by providing land for tree planting.

The TNI’s support for the program initiated by Pupuk Kaltim is manifested in the form of providing land and maintenance facilities for planting 10 million trees by 2030. Andika thinks the Community Forest program is very good.

“Through this program, the TNI can directly contribute to environmental preservation and climate change prevention. We hope that this cooperation can be an example for other parties to be directly involved in protecting the environment,” said Andika.

In the initial stages, PKT collaborated with Army Strategic Reserves Command (KOSTRAD) to plant 3,000 trees in the KOSTRAD Cibenda, Sukabumi training area of ​​10 hectares in 2022 and will continue up to 200 hectares with a total plant of more than 60,000. Various types of plants such as mango, jackfruit, durian, avocado, soursop, and several rare fruit trees such as matoa, bisbul, menteng, and gandaria will be planted in the area provided by KOSTRAD.

KOSTRAD Commander Lieutenant General TNI Maruli Simanjuntak said that his party fully supports the implementation of the Community Forest program initiated by the PKT.

“This is a concrete form that we, the TNI and the PKT, can contribute directly to reducing carbon emissions, which is one of the main causes of climate change today. We, the TNI, will continue to work together with PKT to provide as much land as possible for planting trees. Starting from the KOSTRAD Training Field, hopefully, later it can be useful not only for the TNI but also for the surrounding community,” said Maruli.

Community Forest Development

The Community Forest Program initiated by PKT continues to be developed. One of them is in Gorontalo Province. The aim is to encourage decarbonization and community empowerment efforts in the agricultural sector. The Community Forest Program was initiated to encourage carbon emission reductions of up to 32% in 2030.

PKT is also targeting the development of Community Forests in Gorontalo, especially in Pohuwato Regency, to reach an area of ​​1,840 hectares spread over seven villages to be planted with various varieties. These varieties include durian, cashew, avocado, jackfruit, mango, soursop, rambutan, cloves, to sengon and various types of rare plants. A total of more than 68 thousand seeds will be planted, involving 430 local farmers.

Apart from aiming at reducing carbon emissions, the Community Forest Program is also targeted at protecting biodiversity, improving the welfare of the community around the planting site, and providing added economic value to less productive land.

Because it doesn’t just stop at the tree planting stage, in the future PKT will still assist the community around the planting area to be able to process, maintain and distribute the harvest later. These efforts will be facilitated by another PKT program, namely AgroSol, by intercropping food crops around the Community Forest land.

“Hopefully, this Community Forest program will further accelerate the reduction of carbon emissions which is the goal of PKT in 2030. Hopefully, this program can also transmit a positive impact for better environmental sustainability in the future,” concluded Rahmad Pribadi. (Safaanah)