The U.S. has pledged $136 million to environment and climate change programs in Indonesia over the next three years.
The funding is part of a larger "comprehensive partnership" to broaden relations between the two countries, according to a White House press release.
The White House says the funding is in response to Indonesian President Yudhoyono’s early pledge at the G-20 in Pittsburgh to reduce Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to 41% below business as usual by 2020, as well as Indonesia’s support for the G-20 to pledge to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies.
President Obama committed the funds to "support these pledges, the Copenhagen Accord, and our shared goals on climate change," according to the release.
$119 million will go to a program called the SOLUSI partnership, which represents the major areas of Environment and Climate engagement–Science, Oceans, Land Use, Society and Innovation–and means “Solution” in Indonesian.
Programs encompassed under SOLUSI include a second Tropical Forest Conservation Act agreement, Forestry and Climate Support Project (IFACS), Marine and Climate Support Program (IMACS), Clean Energy Development (ICED) program, and others.
An additional $17 million wil support the establishment of a Climate Change Center and related programs linking science to policy on strategic priorities in the climate change area, focusing initially on emissions from peatlands.
Norway gave a matching contribution to the Center.
Indonesia is considered a major developing-nation battleground against climate change, due to its massive expanse of tropical forests and peatlands. These lands hold and sequester enormous amounts of carbon, but they are being cut and burned as development in the nation expands.
The U.S. also pledged $165 million for higher education in the country over the next five years.
President Obama will visit Indonesia for the first time this year.
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke led the first cabinet-level trade mission to Indonesia May 25-26, promoting U.S. exports in a broad range of clean energy technologies. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson announced the “Breathe Easy Jakarta” initiative, partnering with the Jakarta regional government to assess and reduce key sources of urban air pollution in Jakarta.
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