President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo met with Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Erikson in Jakarta on Sunday, June 2, 2024, discussing bilateral cooperation to reduce carbon emissions and the European Union’s anti-deforestation regulations.
Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar highlighted the meeting’s focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the forestry sector, with Indonesia targeting the Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030. This goal aims to achieve a net absorption of GHGs exceeding emissions by 2030.
“We discussed the MoU on cooperation between Indonesia and Norway,” Siti Nurbaya told a media conference.
She revealed Norway’s concrete support of US$156 million to help Indonesia reduce 30.2 million tons of carbon emissions.
President Jokowi also requested Norway’s assistance in addressing discrimination against Indonesian palm oil in light of the European Union’s Deforestation-free Regulation (EUDR).
Siti Nurbaya conveyed that Jokowi assured Erikson of Indonesia’s effective management of palm oil issues.
“President Jokowi appealed to Norway for proper understanding and perception to prevent discrimination against palm oil,” she said.
Siti Nurbaya cited the need to adjust land inventory methods in Indonesia to align with EUDR standards, as the Global Forest Watch (GFW) method may lead to significant errors.
The EUDR requires suppliers to provide coordinates of the land where commodities and products are produced and to supply information about these locations.
Siti Nurbaya expressed gratitude to Norway for providing high-resolution satellite technology, which will provide precise ground condition imagery and therefore enhance Indonesia’s ability to comply with the EU’s regulations.
