Fact Sheet: U.S.-Indonesia Climate Cooperation

The United States takes a whole-of-government approach to helping Indonesian efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and counter the effects of climate change by improving local forest and land management, advancing public-private partnerships, promoting clean energy technologies, and providing technical assistance to improve scientific capacity related to responding to climate change.

Active U.S. partnerships in Indonesia are at an unprecedented level, including approximately $60 million under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act's debt-for-nature swaps, and $50 million under the Millennium Challenge Corporation's (MCC) compact. These programs leverage the expertise of the U.S. Forest Service, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Conserving Ecosystems and Helping People Adapt to Climate Change

In addition to traditional programs to improve forest and peatland management of more than 8 million hectares in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh, Kalimantan, and Papua, USAID has innovative partnerships with the Indonesian public and private sector to conserve mangroves that sequester "blue carbon," and partnerships to reduce degradation of forests and peatlands from agro-forestry cultivation.

MCC compact partners also are applying climate-smart agriculture techniques. For example, the compact has matched an industry investment of nearly $12 million in the cacao sector to assist Indonesian cacao farmers to increase productivity. Co-financing partners include U.S. industry leaders Mars and Mondelez. Another $25 million MCC activity engages communities and local governments in processes that reduce land-based greenhouse gas emissions.

But conservation of landscapes cannot exist without considering the impacts on Indonesia's people. Through USAID, we are helping Indonesians to manage climate and disaster risk, minimize climate-related economic losses, strengthen community and environmental resilience, and transform the way climate and disaster risks are presently managed.

Training the Next Generation of Scientists

In addition to scholarships for Indonesian students to study in the United States, we are forging ties between leading U.S. and Indonesian universities to bring the best minds to bear on today's issues and to prepare the next generation of scientists. These thought leaders will inform fact-based decision making on land use policy and stimulate local higher education. USAID partnerships also support research institutions to advance forest and peatland sciences, promote sister-agency collaboration, strengthen the management of forest resources, national parks, and conserve forest carbon and biodiversity.

Seven consortia of Indonesian universities and other organizations were selected for $15 million in competitive MCC grant awards. These funds will build local, provincial, and national capacity to strengthen the workforce and drive forward Indonesia's nation-wide low carbon development strategy.