As a follow-up to a meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) in New York, United States, the Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI) received a visit from the former United States Ambassador to Indonesia, Robert O. Blake, Jr., along with representatives from New Forests on Thursday (04/06/2026). The meeting was convened to discuss various collaborative opportunities in supporting sustainable forest management, ecosystem restoration, and the development of a green economy in Indonesia.
The Chairman of APHI, Soewarso, stated that Indonesia’s forestry sector plays a strategic role in supporting national economic growth while simultaneously preserving environmental sustainability. Consequently, APHI continuously encourages the strengthening of partnerships with various stakeholders at both national and international levels.
“In principle, APHI is open to various forms of investment cooperation that can strengthen sustainable forest management, enhance landscape productivity, promote ecosystem restoration, and provide broader benefits to communities living near forests. In this regard, financing innovation is one of the key factors to drive investment in sustainable forestry development and to support national GHG emission reduction targets,” Soewarso said.
Meanwhile, Robert O. Blake, Jr. expressed his appreciation for the progress of Indonesia’s forestry sector, which continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable natural resource management.
“Indonesia possesses immense potential in developing nature-based solutions and sustainable forest management, which has attracted the attention of global investors. We see numerous opportunities to strengthen partnerships among business players, investors, the government, and communities to support development that delivers economic benefits while maintaining environmental sustainability,” Blake stated.
According to Blake, constructive dialogue among stakeholders is a crucial factor in building trust and creating investment and cooperation opportunities that can support sustainable development goals in Indonesia.
On the same occasion, the Director of Investments (Asia) at New Forests, Sanjiv Louis, remarked that Indonesia has great potential to further strengthen sustainable forest and landscape management through collaboration among the government, private sector, financial institutions, and communities. According to him, natural resource management that balances economic, social, and environmental aspects will be a critical factor in supporting future green economic growth and climate resilience.
“We see that Indonesia has significant opportunities to develop various sustainable forest management and land-use initiatives. Strong collaboration between business actors, the government, and development partners can support increased landscape productivity, the protection of environmental values, and the creation of long-term benefits for communities,” Sanjiv Louis said.
He added that New Forests possesses extensive experience in sustainable investment management, innovative financing, and developing partnerships that support responsible natural resource management. According to him, the dialogue with APHI is an important step toward exchanging information and exploring various cooperative opportunities that can support sustainable forest management and natural resource-based economic development in Indonesia.
The discussion concluded with an agreement that communication and information exchange must be continuously strengthened to identify various collaborative opportunities. This will support investment in sustainable forest management and ecosystem restoration, enhance the economic value of the forestry sector, and contribute to the global sustainable development and climate action agenda. (*)
