Enviro News Asia, London — The Government of Indonesia has reaffirmed its strong commitment to building a nature-based economy as a cornerstone of long-term national development, emphasizing close cooperation with the United Kingdom to strengthen biodiversity protection and sustainable nature finance.
The commitment was delivered at an international forum titled Building a Nature First Economy in Indonesia: Advancing Sustainable Nature Finance in Aceh and Beyond, held in London on 21 January 2026. Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Head of the Environmental Control Agency stated that the partnership with the UK serves as a vital platform to enhance national capacity in conserving biodiversity and developing sustainable finance mechanisms.
The minister stressed that environmental protection supports, rather than constrains, economic growth by underpinning long-term resilience and national prosperity. He highlighted the leadership direction of President Prabowo Subianto, which encourages the transformation of parts of forest concession areas into conservation landscapes to ensure development remains within ecological limits.
The policy, he said, reflects the state’s commitment to aligning economic activity with ecosystem and wildlife protection, including within productive forest landscapes.
During the forum, the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) in Aceh was introduced as a concrete example of a living landscape approach that integrates Sumatran elephant habitat protection, regenerative agroforestry, and community-based economic empowerment. Aceh was presented as a pilot model that can be replicated across other high-biodiversity regions in Indonesia.
As the country with the world’s second-highest level of biodiversity, Indonesia views biodiversity as a strategic national asset and a foundation for long-term economic resilience. To support this vision, the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), together with the Ministry of Environment, the National Research and Innovation Agency and other relevant institutions, has developed the Indonesia Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (IBSAP) 2025–2045. The framework aims to mainstream nature protection across sectors while mobilising sustainable financing.
Indonesia is also strengthening cooperation with the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, The Royal Foundation, World Wide Fund for Nature, and the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits. The collaboration focuses on developing biodiversity finance mechanisms, building biodiversity credit capacity, and combating environmental crime.
The Indonesian government confirmed that nature-based initiatives such as PECI will be expanded to other high-conservation-value areas nationwide, including locations outside forest zones, to ensure biodiversity protection advances in parallel with inclusive and sustainable national development. (*)
