Samarinda, Thursday, May 17, 2018. In order to participate in efforts to reduce emissions and improve better forest governance, WWF-Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation Agreement with the Provincial Government of East Kalimantan. Located at the office of the Governor of East Kalimantan Province, the signing was carried out by the Governor of East Kalimantan Prof. Dr. H. Awang Faroek Ishak, M.M, M.Si., and WWF-Indonesia CEO Rizal Malik. This cooperation agreement is intended to synergize emission reduction efforts in East Kalimantan that have been initiated by various parties with the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculation data portal system from the land-based sector. The forest carbon data portal system is an internet-based information system where the data in it can be utilized by stakeholders in East Kalimantan.

The signing of this MoU is very important to support the government's efforts in realizing the Government of Indonesia's target to reduce carbon emissions in accordance with the country's commitment summarized in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is a 29% reduction in emissions by its own efforts until 2030. Considering that the land and forestry sector is a strategic sector in efforts to reduce emissions in East Kalimantan, through the Forest Carbon Partnership Facilities-Carbon Fund (FCPF-CF) program managed by the World Bank, East Kalimantan Province has the opportunity to reduce emissions from suppressing the rate of performance-based deforestation and forest degradation (REDD +).

Prof. Drs. H. Awang Faroek Ishak, M.M, M.Si. Governor of East Kalimantan stated "This is a good model of cooperation between parties in coordinating and facilitating the measurement, reporting and control of activities that contribute to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the land sector in East Kalimantan Province'. Awang continued, "East Kalimantan is one of the provinces in Indonesia that is ready to contribute to the emission reduction program in Indonesia".

This internet-based data portal platform is an initiative of the Environment Agency together with WWF-Indonesia to conduct scientific documentation of emission reduction efforts in the land sector in East Kalimantan. This cooperation is carried out specifically within the framework of measuring, reporting and controlling activities that cause GHG emissions in the land sector.

"This cooperation is carried out to optimize planning, implementation and research activities that support the achievement of the Regional Action Plan (RAD) objectives for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in East Kalimantan, which is East Kalimantan's contribution to emission reduction in Indonesia," said the Head of the East Kalimantan Provincial Environment Agency, Ir. H. Riza Indra Riadi, M.Si.

Rizal Malik, CEO of WWF-Indonesia after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding said, "Our high appreciation goes to the Provincial Government of East Kalimantan which is very enthusiastic in supporting low carbon emission development. By utilizing the internet-based forest carbon data portal system that can be accessed at mrv.kaltimprov.go.id, so that the East Kalimantan Government can become an example of sub-national government low emission development. Rizal continued, "This is the first online data portal-based carbon calculation, monitoring and reporting cooperation model in Indonesia. In the future, of course, it still requires the cooperation of the parties to improve it, so that it can become a scientific basis that supports policy makers in determining the direction of development."

This MoU is valid until 2020 and regulates cooperation including support and assistance in technical management of the forest carbon data portal, human resource development, data and information collection, and portal system development (mrv.kaltimprov.go.id) for long-term needs.