Pertamina & Minister of Environment and Forestry Together Support Decarbonization and Climate Change Solutions
Sei Pakning, March 8, 2024 - The tree planting program across all regions of Indonesia in efforts to mitigate climate change has been enforced by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK). This time, with PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (PT KPI), 231 Mangrove seedlings were planted at the Mangrove Education Center, Bengkalis Regency, Riau, on Thursday (3/7).
The joint tree planting action was led directly by the Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, along with Senior Fellow at Bezos Earth Fund, Frank Zacharias Robin Goldsmith.
The tree planting involved roughly 250 participants consisting of KLHK Regional Technical Implementing Unit (UPT), central and local government officials, civil servants, various layers of society and nature enthusiasts' communities.
"In addition to being a concrete effort to mitigate climate change, this tree planting movement aims at restoring environmental quality, accelerating Forest and Land Rehabilitation, and efforts to improve environmental quality," said Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar in her remarks.
This activity is the fourth in a series of Simultaneous Tree Planting events, which were instructed and carried out for the first time by the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, in December 2023. The tree planting action took place in a mangrove location covering an area of approximately 200 hectares.
The seedlings planted in this activity originated from the community Farmer Group Nurseries around the Indragiri Rokan River Basin Management Agency (BPDAS) and PT KPI Unit Sei Pakning.
According to Siti Nurbaya Bakar, this action is a positive step towards restoring and protecting the environment. We are benefiting the earth while also creating a legacy for future generations.
This series of activities also serves as the 41st Forester Dedication Day commemoration, celebrated every March 16. Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar also invited foresters, government officials, the entire community, and various stakeholders to collectively contribute thoughts and tangible activities at the grassroots level on a massive and measurable scale.
As commitments often reiterated in various global forums, Indonesia considers it crucial to ensure that these commitments are fulfilled through policies and tangible actions to reduce emissions from the forestry sector and other land uses through Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030, one of which is by planting and maintaining as many trees as possible.
Apart from being a mitigation effort, this activity also aims to increase the number of trees and plants, which are expected to enhance the public's awareness and understanding of the environmental and forestry development programs.
After the joint tree planting, Siti Nurbaya Bakar and all the guests also visited the Arboretum Gambut Marsawa Kampung Jawa. The arboretum development is a manifestation of the concern from the Social and Environmental Responsibility Program (TJSL) of PT KPI Unit Sei Pakning, which also contributes to the efforts of mitigating climate change that benefits the surrounding community.
Accompanied by the President Director of PT KPI, Taufik Aditiyawarman, GM of PT KPI Unit Dumai, Didik Subagyo, Minister of Environment and Forestry with guests attentively listened to various explanations about the Marsawa Arboretum and plants within.
As conveyed by the President and Director of PT KPI, Pertamina will continue to play a role in environmental and nature conservation.
"With Pertamina's operations, we contribute to the development of Bengkalis through the TJSL Program. We also pay attention to peatlands; the Arboretum Gambut Marsawa area is the original ecosystem of peat swamp forests that still maintain ecological functions and biodiversity of peatlands, as well as improving the welfare of the community through the arboretum utilization as an educational tourism area," said the President Director of PT KPI, Taufik Aditiyawarman, at the Marsawa Arboretum, Kampung Jawa, Thursday (3/7).
Furthermore, he emphasized that through the TJSL program, PT KPI strives to combine nature conservation with tourism development, providing significant economic impact for the surrounding community and continuing to contribute to carbon emission reduction.
Vice President of Corporate Communication, Fadjar Djoko Santoso, said that tree planting is Pertamina's commitment to support the government in reducing emissions and achieving the net zero emission (NZE) target by 2060 or earlier.
"As a world-class energy company, Pertamina continues to innovate its business operations to be more environmentally friendly. At the same time, Pertamina implements the TJSL program to maintain a sustainable environment and continuously reduce emissions," Fadjar said.
The visits to the Arboretum concluded with the joint planting of Nepenthes pitcher plants. Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar also expressed her appreciation and gratitude to the local government, PT KPI, and the entire community, as well as other stakeholders who have collaborated and continued to innovate in preserving the environment and preventing recurring forest fires on peatlands.
Pertamina, as a leading company in the energy transition, is committed to supporting the Net Zero Emission 2060 target by continuously promoting programs that directly impact the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement. All these efforts align with Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) implementation across all Pertamina's business lines and operations.**