RI hosts inaugural sessions of REDD+ Academy: Fighting against deforestation: Eighty-three representatives of governments of Asia-Pacific countries, members of the House of Representatives and journalists group together at the inaugural session of REDD+ Academy in Yogyakarta, which will run from Oct.28 to Nov.7. REDD+ Academy, which was established jointly by a number of organizations and experts, aims to give a comprehensive and easy-to-understand course to participants on what REDD+ is and what its roles are in national development. The next REDD+ Academy will be provided for Latin American countries and will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the beginning of 2015. (Courtesy of REDD+Indonesia)

Indonesia is hosting inaugural sessions of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Academy in Yogyakarta, which has been established to aid the global fight against deforestation by creating economic value from carbon stored in forests.

Head of REDD+ Indonesia, Heru Prasetyo, said it was crucial for countries to collaborate and remain vigilant in the fight against deforestation and forest degradation.

“This aims to provide knowledge on what sustainability means; what it means in relation to forests and the price we will pay if we don't address this matter now," Heru said in the opening of the program, which began on Oct. 28 and will conclude on Nov. 7.

As many as 83 government representatives from Asia-Pacific countries, members of the Indonesian House of Representatives and journalists are participating in the training, which is the first in a number of events that will build momentum toward achieving a "green economy".

UN Office for REDD+ Coordination in Indonesia director, Satya Tripathi, said “Indonesia is a REDD+ pioneer country that has inspired and motivated the implementation of REDD+ in other countries”.

UN Under-Secretary General and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) director general Achim Steiner explained to participants via video conference that Indonesia was part of the global fight against deforestation.

“With more than 50 countries to have joined the UN-REDD+ partnership, we have a rare opportunity to carry out something that might have never have been previously conducted with such a current form and ambition,” said Steiner.

He described REDD+ as "the single and biggest effort" to communicate the pressing issue of deforestation to society and to respond to questions about how countries would preserve forests, which play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the world's ecosystems.

Indonesia, home to third-largest tropical rainforest in the world, has adopted a vision of sustainable development. At the center of this effort are policies and incentives provided both by the public and private sector to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and to conserve and increase carbon stocks.