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Oil Palm Can Function As Carbon Sink: Real Or Unreal Fact?

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Air pollution as a result of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions caused by the combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as industrial processes, is the main contributor to global warming and climate change. Efforts to mitigate such pollution should not be only limited on the reduction of carbon emissions, but also by increasing carbon absorption through green vegetation.

Interestingly, Indonesian oil palm plantations have big potential to function as carbon sinks. Even the palm plantations have been dubbed the “green lungs” of the Earth. A number of studies show the following facts:

  • Through photosynthesis, oil palm plantations can absorb CO₂ and store it as plant biomass and soil carbon.
  • Frequently cited research shows that each hectare of oil palm plantations has the net potential to absorb approximately 64.5 tons of CO₂ per year.
  • In addition to absorbing CO₂, oil palm plantations also produce oxygen, providing benefits like lungs for the ecosystem.

By having very large areas of ​​oil palm plantations, Indonesia has a big potential of carbon absorption through its oil palm plantations. It means that the oil palm plantations can play a very significant role in mitigating global climate change if managed properly.

Therefore, instead of taking the wrong stance of being hostile to palm oil, it is better to acknowledge the undeniable fact that the oil palm plantations can be considered part of the climate solution, especially if their expansions are implemented on the right locations (not peatland/primary forest), and they are subjected to practices of sustainability principles.

As members of society and stakeholders, we should appreciate the role of oil palm plantations as valuable ecological assets in providing  “environmental services” to absorb carbon and produce oxygen. (*)

  • The Carbon Cost of Converting Peatlands to Oil Palm.” (2025). Cool Green Science / blog of Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN). https://blog.nature.org/science-brief/the-carbon-cost-of-converting-peatlands-to-oil-palm/
  • Emisi CO₂ pada Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) yang Ditumpangsarikan dengan Tanaman Pangan Fase Berbeda di Tanah Mineral.” (2018). Jurnal Agroteknologi, Vol. 8, No. 2. https://ejournal.uin-suska.ac.id/index.php/agroteknologi/article/view/4237
  • palmoilina.asia. Journal Analysis of Palm Oil Strategic Issues. https://palmoilina.asia/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/4.07.-GLOBAL-WARMING-AND-SOLUTIONS-FROM-THE-PALM-OIL.pdf. August 15th, 2023
  • palmoilina.asia. ECOLOGICAL MULTIFUNCTION OF INDONESIAN OIL PALM PLANTATIONS. https://palmoilina.asia/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/2.43.-ECOLOGICAL-MULTIFUNCTION-OF-INDONESIAN-OIL-PALM-PLANTATIONS.pdf. November 2021
  • Kompleksitas Fungsi Ekologis Kelapa Sawit.” (2025). BPDP – Perkebunan Kelapa Sawit sebagai Carbon Sink

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