As one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, Indonesia faces challenges in mitigation efforts. Indonesia’s commitment is realized through a target of reducing emissions by 29% according to the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) by 2030 and achieving Net Zero Emissions (NZE) by 2050.
Collective efforts from various parties are required to achieve this ambitious target. One approach that can be taken in calculating the total greenhouse gas emissions produced (carbon footprint) and offsetting these emissions by supporting projects that reduce emissions elsewhere (carbon offsetting).
Driven by this concern, the UGM KKN-PPM team in Banggai Islands collaborated with Jejakin, Vontripo, and the Executive Student Board of the UGM Faculty of Forestry (Forestry UGM) to hold a talk show titled “Offsetting Travel Carbon Footprint: Developing Sustainable Tourism,” focusing on applying the concepts of carbon footprint and carbon offset in the KKN-PPM program.
The event, held at Forestry UGM last June, was conducted offline and online and featured experts in the field of carbon, such as Dr. Hendrie Adji Kusworo, Head of the Doctoral Program in Tourism Studies at the UGM Graduate School and member of the Indonesia Sustainable Tourism Council (ISTC), Dr. Ris Hadi Purwanto, lecturer at Forestry UGM, and Fakhri Syahrullah from Jejakin.
In his speech, Dr. Sigit Sunarta, Dean of Forestry UGM, revealed that the carbon footprint and carbon offsetting campaign should become the framework for KKN programs aimed at raising community awareness about carbon footprints and encouraging active participation in GHG emission reduction efforts.
“Collective efforts from many parties worldwide, including UGM KKN-PPM students, are essential to addressing climate change issues,” he said.
Regarding volunteer tourism (voluntourism) with KKN-PPM UGM activities, Dr. Kusworo explained that the relationship between KKN students and tourism has successfully realized sustainable tourism potential.
“This is related to the systematic framework of Sustainable Tourism Indonesia (STI) up to the introduction of the Sustainable Tourism Observatory (STO), for example, in Pancoh Tourism Village, Sleman, and the STO amplification that has been running in Magelang in July 2022 and Banggai Islands in 2018,” explained Dr. Kusworo.
Dr. Ris Hadi Purwanto explained this differently through visual depictions of carbon in the atmosphere in 2003, 2008, and 2013 while introducing three biomass calculation methods in plants to apply the carbon footprint concept.
“The presence of potential gases in greenhouse gases produced from various sectors requires more attention from national and international communities,” said Dr. Purwanto.
In line with him, Fakhri Syahrullah from Jejakin stated that Jejakin is very open to collaboration in developing solutions to environmental problems worldwide through several technologies they have developed, named Carbon Atlas, Carbon Space, and Carbon IQ.
At the end of the session, the UGM Banggai Islands KKN-PPM students presented a carbon footprint projection using an application guided by Jejakin.
They practiced the carbon footprint calculation process and the offsetting program that the group would carry out, including the number of plants expected to absorb the carbon produced from transportation activities.
Through KKN-PPM, it is hoped that synergy will be established between UGM, relevant stakeholders, and the community to realize a shared commitment to implementing the NDC and NZE concepts in Indonesia, thereby contributing to achieving Indonesia’s net-zero emissions target by 2050.
Author: UGM Banggai Islands KKN-PPM Team
Editor: Triya Andriyani