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This paper considers the concept of a “data loop” —a relationship between the government and the private sector that focuses on strengthening collaborative efforts to enhance climate ambition through data sharing—in the Indonesian context. In the data loop, the private sector shares climate and GHG emissions data with the government, and the government facilitates mandatory reporting systems to properly collect this data and incentivize voluntary reporting, further encouraging more robust data sharing. A data loop could generate the impetus for the private sector to provide the data required, and the government could, in turn, provide greater clarity through more robust assessments of efforts and projections, which would be supported by strengthened domestic and international measurement, tracking, reporting, regulation, and verification systems. The concept of the data loop builds upon previous research suggesting that a similar relationship could lead to enhanced climate action: an ambition loop. An ambition loop is a virtuous feedback loop in which bold policy action is supported by bold company leadership, resulting in the acceleration of further business action, faster progress to meet national targets, and the seizure of larger market opportunities. The government pushes companies by establishing bold targets and strong policies, and companies push the government by showing commercial demand and economic possibilities (Metzger et al. 2018).

To align with international climate efforts to remain within 1.5 degrees of the earth temperature, Indonesia requires concerted measures from actors to preserve and restore carbon rich ecosystems, especially blue carbon ecosystem. Although studies have suggested the importance of blue carbon ecosystems in contributing to Indonesian climate action, translating science to policy remains a challenge. Mapping actors and the pattern of information exchange related to blue carbon can help identify potential barriers in the blue carbon governance process and policy development. This study uses Social Network Analysis and integrates it with results from in-depth qualitative evaluation of institutional respondents. Data is obtained through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with representatives from a broad range of organizations. It was found that the actor who oversees the fulfilment of the climate commitment, which is the most common objective of the network, is not a central actor. Second, the actors with the highest degree of centrality received little trust from other actors. Third, overall, the network has low quality ties. Each of these hinders knowledge providers’ ability to make an impact on policy development. By critically examining the interactions between actors, this research casts new light on the overlooked problem of the significance of the network in blue carbon governance process.

Globally, carbon‐rich mangrove forests are deforested and degraded due to land‐use and land‐cover change (LULCC). The impact of mangrove deforestation on carbon emissions has been reported on a global scale; however, uncertainty remains at subnational scales due to geographical variability and field data limitations. We present an assessment of blue carbon storage at five mangrove sites across West Papua Province, Indonesia, a region that supports 10% of the world's mangrove area. The sites are representative of contrasting hydrogeomorphic settings and also capture change over a 25‐years LULCC chronosequence. Field‐based assessments were conducted across 255 plots covering undisturbed and LULCC‐affected mangroves (0‐, 5‐, 10‐, 15‐ and 25‐year‐old post‐harvest or regenerating forests as well as 15‐year‐old aquaculture ponds). Undisturbed mangroves stored total ecosystem carbon stocks of 182–2,730 (mean ± SD: 1,087 ± 584) Mg C/ha, with the large variation driven by hydrogeomorphic settings. The highest carbon stocks were found in estuarine interior (EI) mangroves, followed by open coast interior, open coast fringe and EI forests. Forest harvesting did not significantly affect soil carbon stocks, despite an elevated dead wood density relative to undisturbed forests, but it did remove nearly all live biomass. Aquaculture conversion removed 60% of soil carbon stock and 85% of live biomass carbon stock, relative to reference sites. By contrast, mangroves left to regenerate for more than 25 years reached the same level of biomass carbon compared to undisturbed forests, with annual biomass accumulation rates of 3.6 ± 1.1 Mg C ha−1 year−1. This study shows that hydrogeomorphic setting controls natural dynamics of mangrove blue carbon stocks, while long‐term land‐use changes affect carbon loss and gain to a substantial degree. Therefore, current land‐based climate policies must incorporate landscape and land‐use characteristics, and their related carbon management consequences, for more effective emissions reduction targets and restoration outcomes., We present blue carbon (C) assessment from 255 plots covering undisturbed and land‐use change‐affected mangroves (0‐, 5‐, 10‐, 15‐ and 25‐year‐old post‐harvest as well as 15‐year‐old aquaculture ponds) across West Papua Province, Indonesia. Undisturbed mangroves stored total ecosystem C‐stocks of 182–2,730 (1,087 ± 584) Mg C/ha, with variation driven by hydrogeomorphic settings. Forest harvesting did not significantly affect soil C‐stocks, despite increased dead wood density, but it removed nearly all live biomass. Aquaculture conversion removed 60% of soil and 85% of live biomass C‐stocks. Mangroves left to regenerate for 25 years reached the same level of biomass carbon compared to undisturbed forests.