Potential Reductions in Carbon Emissions from Indonesian Forest Concessions Through Use of Reduced-Impact Logging Practices

To estimate the potential and realized carbon emission reductions from implementation of reduced-impact logging (RIL) in Indonesia, we compiled logging emissions data from 15 concessions in Kalimantan and 10 from the Papuan provinces. Committed emissions data were collected for harvested timber as well as from collateral damage caused by felling, skidding, and clearing for haul roads and log yards. Emissions expressed as mean ± standard error per cubic meter of timber harvested, per area harvested, and per Mg of timber harvested (i.e., the ‘Carbon Impact Factor’) were 1.30 ± 0.15 Mg C m−3, 27.52 ± 4.44 Mg C ha−1, and 6.88 ± 0.84 Mg Mg−1, respectively. Among the sampled concessions, felling, hauling, and skidding caused 18–86%, 2–48%, and 6–75% of these emissions, respectively. Potential emission reductions calculated as the difference between observed emissions and those of the five best-performing concessions are 0.67 ± 0.15 Mg C m−3, 21.11 ± 4.38 Mg C ha−1, and 4.20 ± 0.83 Mg Mg−1, which represents reductions of 51%, 76%, and 61%, respectively. Extrapolating these estimates to all of Indonesia using average log production data from 2018 to 2021 results in an estimated annual emissions reduction of 14.47 Tg CO2 from full adoption of RIL, which is 2.9% of Indonesia’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) from the forestry sector.