GREEN for Riau Launch - Resident Coordinator's Speech, Gita Sabharwal

Your Excellencies, distinguished representatives from the United Kingdom, the Governor and government of Riau, the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Forestry, the Representatives from other ministries, the foreign embassy representatives, civil society representatives, private sector, esteemed colleagues

It is a pleasure to address you today as we accelerate the agenda of greening Riau in partnerships between the government, private sector, local communities and the United Nations.

Indonesia is on the frontlines of global climate change as one of the world’s most densely forested nations and Riau is an integral part of the country’s drive to reach net zero by 2060.

Over 40% of the province’s land area is covered in peatlands, amounting to nearly 5 million hectares in all.

These peatlands serve as as carbon sinks while supporting the rich biodiversity for which Riau is globally famous.

Local forests are home to iconic but critically endangered species such as the Sumatran orangutan, tiger and elephant. Protecting their habitats will be as critical as using natural resources responsibly.

This is why it is so important that Riau is the first province in Indonesia to adopt global forest carbon standards in a pioneering effort.

This will enable the province to access results-based payments in support of its green economy along with cutting-edge monitoring, reporting, and verification in alignment with international standards.

Carbon savings through sustainable forest management will translate into high-integrity results-based payments from the international private sector.

East Kalimantan and Jambi have already accessed international financing of this kind for reducing their carbon emissions with transformative results.

Riau can exchange lessons learned with these provinces predicted on locally owned solutions, charting new pathways for sustainability in Indonesia.

The flagship UN-REDD Program will enable this to happen.

I want to thank the British government for its support to UNEP and FAO so these agencies can bring to bear technical skills towards responsible forest management and a results-based system for REDD+ credits in Riau.

UNEP and FAO will leverage their unique strengths in support of peatland restoration, biodiversity protection, and community empowerment.

This is critical as 80% of emissions from land use are peat-related in Riau. Reducing these significantly will make the province a leader globally for peatland rewetting, restoration, and integrated fire management.

Just as important will be to empower communities living in peatlands around Riau to ensure sustainable livelihoods for all.

Preserving natural landscapes and wildlife habitats will enable these communities to benefit from a robust green economy in a win-win for people and their environment.

I want to thank you Governor and your team for leading this vital initiative through a whole-of-government approach at the provincial level.

I will be closely following the success of this initiative in the coming years.

In closing, allow me to recite a poem in Bahasa Indonesia:

Petang hari burung berkicau,

Langit bersih cerah membiru.

Mari kita jaga ekosistem Riau,

Hutan Lestari, bumi pun baru.

Mentari pagi bersinar terang,

Sawah menghijau indah nian.

Hijaukan bumi Riau kita Bersama,

GREEN for Riau jadi tujuan