Palm Oil as a Contributor to Rising Greenhouse Gas Emissions

According to the Directorate General of Climate Change Control of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Ditjen PPI-KLHK), 94% of greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia are dominated by CO₂ gas. A significant portion of carbon is stored in the soil, and forest management contributes to whether the terrestrial biosphere absorbs or emits carbon. In fact, more than 80% of historical deforestation due to continuous palm oil land clearing has a significant impact on the global climate. As a result, Indonesia is accused of being the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.

The forestry sector, a victim of deforestation and degradation, contributed 26.8 Mt of carbon dioxide emissions from 2013-2018 due to the loss of tree cover in Indonesia, while another 1.04 Gt was largely caused by the plantation sector. In this case, palm oil and activities within logging and timber plantation concessions are the direct causes of deforestation.

If the data is examined, generally, the highest carbon dioxide emissions occurred in 2016 at 930.76 Mt. However, these emissions decreased by 48.46% in 2018 thanks to government efforts to follow up on policies to significantly reduce the effects of greenhouse gases. Furthermore, the negative impacts have damaged the ozone layer and polluted the air, jeopardizing the survival of living beings.