Norway and Indonesia advance climate and development cooperation during ministerial meetings

*Norwegian Minister Åsmund Grøver Aukrust and Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono held a high-level meeting in Jakarta on February 12. Photo courtesy: Indonesia Foreign Ministry official X account*

Norway’s Minister of International Development Åsmund Grøver Aukrust visited Indonesia on February 11-13 following his Vietnam trip on February 9-10, holding high-level meetings in Jakarta on climate, development financing and multilateral issues.

According to a February 4 statement from Norway’s Ministry of International Development issued ahead of the visit, Aukrust’s Indonesia programme was expected to prioritize dialogue with authorities and societal actors on international cooperation, development policy and innovative financing models. The ministry described the Indonesia-Norway relationship as based on a broad and long-term partnership.

“When the development landscape is changing as dramatically as we have seen over the past year, we must strengthen partnerships with other countries where we share common interests,” Aukrust said in the statement, noting Indonesia’s demographic weight and the countries’ existing cooperation on climate and the environment.

Bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Sugiono

*Aukrust shakes hands with Sugiono. Photo courtesy: Indonesia Foreign Ministry official X account*

Aukrust met Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono in Jakarta on February 12. According to a post on X by Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry account, the two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing sustainable development, strengthening multilateralism and promoting global peace. The post added that both countries would continue to work closely on the issue of Palestine. Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also commented on the meeting via its official X account, stating that the Indonesia-Norway relationship is of “great value” in a polarised world and highlighting cooperation on climate, forests and UN reform. The ministry added that the ministers discussed joint efforts to promote peace, including between Israel and Palestine.

Forestry cooperation and carbon reduction talks

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni (left) and Aukrust at the launch of the fourth period of the Community Fund for the Environment Service in Jakarta on Febriaru 12. Photo courtesy: Indonesian News Agency ANTARA

Aukrust also held talks with Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni on February 12, with discussions focusing on emissions reduction cooperation and community-based environmental financing.

According to Indonesia’s state news agency ANTARA, the two governments launched talks on the fifth phase of their results-based contribution carbon emission reduction initiative (RBC-5).

Antoni said Indonesia is working to improve data verification while aligning with ART-TREES standards, referring to the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions and its Environmental Excellence Standard for measuring and verifying emissions reductions.

The minister noted that the ART-TREES mechanism could support Indonesia’s 2030 Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink target, adding that 10 provinces have been registered under the scheme.

Aukrust, speaking at the same event, described the bilateral cooperation on reforestation and emissions reduction as long-standing and said he expected the partnership to strengthen further.

Results-based payments framework

According to ANTARA, Indonesia has received multiple payments under the bilateral climate partnership. The country obtained USD 56 million under RBC-1 for reducing 11.2 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent during 2016-2017. It later secured a combined USD 100 million under RBC-2 and RBC-3 for cutting 20 million tons of emissions between 2017 and 2019, followed by USD 60 million under RBC-4 for reductions achieved in 2019-2020. Officials presented the figures as part of the ongoing results-based funding mechanism between the two countries.

Community Fund for the Environment launched

The two ministers also launched the fourth phase of the Community Fund for the Environment, allocating Rp7 billion to support Indonesia’s FOLU Net Sink 2030 target, according to ANTARA.

The fund supports local non-profit organisations, indigenous groups, universities and other entities through Indonesia’s Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH). Antoni said the programme has disbursed Rp19.31 billion to 561 community groups across 36 provinces over three previous implementation periods, benefiting more than 31,000 recipients. For the fourth phase, proposal submissions are open from February 12-19, 2026 through the BPDLH online portal.

Themes for community support

Applicants in the new funding round may apply under three main themes: FOLU Goes to School, which focuses on engaging younger generations in environmental conservation; FOLU Terra, aimed at improving community welfare through environment-based activities; and FOLU Biodiversity, which supports biodiversity conservation efforts. The Indonesian Forestry Ministry said the scheme is intended to strengthen community participation in environmental protection and sustainable land use.

Broader partnership context

Norway’s development ministry said ahead of the trip that cooperation with Indonesia spans climate, environment and development policy, framing the visit as part of efforts to reinforce partnerships amid shifts in the global development landscape. Officials from both countries characterised the Jakarta meetings as part of ongoing bilateral engagement on sustainable development, forest governance and multilateral cooperation.