Today, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MOEF) of Indonesia and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of a new climate and conservation partnership, the FOLU Net Sink Bilateral Framework Agreement.
The agreement, signed by Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, Siti Nurbaya, and USAID Administrator Samantha Power, will give a significant boost to Indonesia achieving its Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 goals, which were first officially launched by President Jokowi during the COP26 conference in Glasgow in November 2021 and codified by MOEF in March 2022 when it issued its FOLU Operational Plan. By May 2022, MOEF secured the support for the Operational Plan through a Memorandum of Understanding with USAID, the first of many bilateral MOUs.
Under President Jokowi’s Administration, Indonesia has made impressive progress in forest conservation, reducing the deforestation rate by 65 percent in the last seven years, leading the world in improving forest protection. This new partnership will continue to build on these results.
“This agreement represents a significant follow-up to the White House Fact Sheet
discussed by President Jokowi and President Biden during their bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in Bali last year,” said Minister Nurbaya.
The Minister emphasized that the agreement encompasses a level of climate finance support aimed at assisting Indonesia in achieving its FOLU Net Sink 2030 goals. These goals, which require spending a projected USD 14.57 billion, have to date primarily relied on Indonesia’s state budget.
“This agreement will help prevent forest degradation; rehabilitate mangrove and
peatlands; and improve protection of Indonesia’s incredible wildlife,” said USAID Administrator Samantha Power. “It will build on Indonesia’s work over the last seven years to reduce deforestation by nearly two-thirds. And it will help preserve the vital resources that Indonesia’s forests offer beyond their stunning natural beauty: the carbon sinks that will be critical for stabilizing the climate.”
U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Sung Y. Kim, stated, “This agreement strengthens our partnership to support Indonesia’s ongoing resilience against climate change and to improve conservation and biodiversity, including the protection of Indonesia’s iconic species like the orangutan.”
Under this new Framework Agreement, USAID aims to contribute up to USD 50 million over the course of five years, in support of the MOEF’s FOLU Net Sink climate and biodiversity objectives. (*)
