EU and Indonesia highlight cooperation on Climate Change and Environment

Today (24/5), the Minister for National Development Planning H.E. Bambang Brodjonegoro, the Minister of Environment and Forestry H.E. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, and the EU Ambassador to Indonesia H.E. Vincent Guérend, jointly launched the EU-Indonesia Blue Book 2018, an annual report on EU-Indonesia development cooperation. The report demonstrates the success stories of development cooperation that the EU and its Member States provide to Indonesia.

The European Union and its Member States continue to be an important partner of Indonesia in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to address the global challenge of climate change. "In Indonesia, we have dedicated resources for environment and forestry, good governance, human rights, education, trade, economic development, as well as health services and we are looking forward to a close dialogue on SDG implementation in Indonesia and the EU," said EU Ambassador H.E. Vincent Guérend.  

“This is an important opportunity to highlight the achievements of ongoing cooperation between Indonesia and the European Union. We are pleased to work together on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and on important topics such as climate change,” said H.E. Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister for National Development Planning/ Head of National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS)

The main theme of the EU-Indonesia Blue Book 2018 – Climate Change – reflects the EU's commitment to supporting the fight against the negative impacts of climate change, as well as overall environmentally friendly reforms.In line with these aims, this year's Blue Book launch featured an engagingpanel discussion on“Climate Change: Putting Paris in Practice.”After the successful Paris Climate Summit in 2015 and its rapid entry into force in 2016, the EU and Indonesia have continued building on this momentum in their partnership on climate and environment issues. 

“Today, I would like to highlight our efforts for the fight against climate change, one of the most important challenges facing our planet. The EU is committed to keeping the world on the path for achieving the goals agreed in Paris and strives to enhance climate action on the ground," emphasised Ambassador Guérend.

The EU has been supporting several initiatives in Indonesia at the national and sub-national level in transforming the development approach and reducing the carbon footprint. The EU Support to Climate Change Response (EUR 6.49 million) project supporting Aceh Province has introduced the practice of climate-smart and dynamic agroforestry for degraded land, conducted in-depth studies on renewable energy and on carbon-rich peatland protection, and has successfully developed innovative mechanisms at district level for payment for ecosystem services tailored for environmental protection and forest conservation by utilising a Village Fund. 

At the national level, the project developed the Capacity Building and Technology Needs Assessment (CBTNA) to gather, evaluate, prioritise, and update information on capacity building and technology needs for reaching climate change targets set out in the Paris Agreement ratified by Indonesia. At the Provincial level, the project supported the “Greening" of the Provincial Development Plans (RPJMD) to reflect climate change commitments and targets in the official planning and budgeting framework governing provincial policies of the next five years. 

Against the background of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, the EU seeks to balance efforts on mitigation and adaptation, and to reach a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and removals across economic sectors that are consistent with climate-resilient development. 

The panel discussion was joined by representatives of the Indonesian government, EU Member States as well as EU projects. The panel of speakers included H.E. Beata Stoczyńska, Ambassador of Poland to Indonesia, Dr Nur Masripatin, Special Adviser to the Minister on Climate Change, Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia, Dr Ir Arifin Rudiyanto, MSc, Deputy Minister for Maritime and Natural Resources, BAPPENAS, Mr Heinz Terhorst, Team Leader, EU Support to Indonesia’s Climate Change Response, and Prof. Dr Rizaldi Boer, Director of Centre for Climate Risk and Opportunity Management in Southeast Asia Pacific (CCROM - SEAP), Bogor Agricultural Institute

To highlight the importance accorded to EU-Indonesia development cooperation, the EU launched its new report in the framework of Europe Month. Throughout the month of May, the EU Delegation in Indonesia is organising a series of enriching and thought-provoking events to mark the EU’s birthday and to present the scope of work and diversity of activities the EU undertakes in Indonesia. The celebration of Europe Day – the birthday of the EU on 9 May – draws on how Europeans have come together to work for peace and prosperity, while highlighting the continent's many different cultures, traditions and languages. 

The report is available online at: http://bit.ly/eu-ri2018bluebook

The programme for Europe Month is available at: http://bit.ly/europemonth2018

Backgrounder on EU support in the area of climate change:

The EU and Indonesia enjoy close technical cooperation and policy dialogue on three of the main drivers of greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and land degradation, namely: forestry, palm oil production, and the draining of peatlands, which increases fire risks. In these areas, the EU supports actions such as  

• EU Support to Indonesia’s Climate Change Response – Technical Assistance Component (SICCR-TAC)
• the initiative on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT)
• the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)
• the Facility on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD)
• studies on strengthening the Indonesian certification for sustainable palm oil (ISPO)
• exploring the use of Copernicus Remote Sensing for peatlands

On the regional level, the EU has launched two initiatives through its cooperation with ASEAN that directly benefit Indonesia. These initiatives focus on the sustainable management of peatlands and combating transboundary haze pollution (SUPA), as well as the conservation of biodiversity (BCAMP).