Enviro News Asia, London – Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni met bilaterally with UK Special Representative for Nature Ruth Davis at the Kew Gardens Orangery in London on Tuesday (6/23), in a follow-up to dialogue held in April 2026 that reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to strengthening cooperation in nature conservation, biodiversity protection, and sustainable financing for protected areas.
The meeting covered developments in the implementation of the Landscape and Iconic Species Conservation Task Force, established under Presidential Decree No. 8 of 2026, which is mandated to strengthen conservation, mobilize innovative financing, support the achievement of the FOLU Net Sink 2030 target, and build sustainable conservation area management models.
Minister Raja Juli Antoni expressed appreciation for the British government’s support for Indonesia’s conservation agenda, including an initial commitment of GBP 2 million announced at the Task Force meeting in April.
“Indonesia already has a strong legal foundation and political support at the highest level to strengthen nature conservation. The next challenge is to translate that mandate into policy reforms, replicable pilot projects, and measurable conservation outcomes for both communities and the environment,” the Minister said.
Indonesia affirmed that the development of innovative conservation financing complements government funding and does not constitute a privatization of national parks, with all approaches to be developed upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, ecological integrity, and fair and inclusive benefits for communities around protected areas.
Both parties also exchanged views on the development of the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) as a landscape conservation model integrating the protection of key species, strengthening community economies, and mobilizing long-term conservation investment.
Indonesia currently manages 57 national parks covering nearly 18 million hectares, home to numerous iconic species and critical ecosystems. The government is developing financing approaches tailored to the characteristics of each area, including blended finance, philanthropy, and public financing schemes, to close a still significant conservation funding gap.
The bilateral meeting also reaffirmed the importance of international collaboration in addressing global challenges related to biodiversity loss and climate change, with Indonesia and the United Kingdom agreeing to continue strengthening dialogue and exploring concrete cooperation opportunities to support effective, inclusive, and sustainable protected area management.
The cooperation is expected to accelerate the realization of a world-class protected area system that not only safeguards biodiversity but also strengthens climate resilience, supports sustainable economic development, and improves community welfare. (*)
