JAKARTA – On April 5, the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) added its signature, alongside that of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation on environmental protection and climate action.
The MOU was signed by EPA Administrator Michael Regan last week in Washington, DC, and today by Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya at the MoEF headquarters in Jakarta.
The signing ceremony was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Y. Kim and Office of International Affairs Director Mark Kasman.
The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration on a range of environmental issues, such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, air quality management, water quality management, waste management, environmental education, environmental law enforcement and circular economy approaches.
The MoU also aims to promote technical exchanges and information sharing between the two countries.
Indonesia and the United States have a long history of cooperation on environmental issues, and this MOU will further enhance our collaboration and mutual learning.
“We look forward to working with the EPA on implementing concrete actions that will benefit both of our countries and the planet,” said Minister Siti Nurbaya.
“This MoU is in line with President Jokowi’s direction to place a high priority on waste management issues,” Minister Nurbaya added.
The Minister also explained that most Indonesian environmental regulations have been inspired by US EPA regulations, which have served as an academic reference for Indonesian environmental regulations since the early 2000s.
The EPA is proud to partner with the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry to advance our shared goals of protecting human health and the environment.
“This MoU reflects our commitment to working together on addressing the global environmental challenges we face today and those we will inevitably face in the future,” said EPA Administrator Regan.
The MoU builds on the existing partnership between MoEF and the EPA under the U.S.-Indonesia Strategic Partnership, which was established in 2015 to elevate bilateral relations to a higher level. The MoU also supports the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, which both countries have ratified.
MoEF and the EPA will establish a joint working group to develop an action plan and coordinate activities under the MoU, which will remain in effect for five years and may be extended by mutual consent.
After signing the MoU, the MoEF and US EPA teams, along with representatives of the US Embassy in Jakarta, conducted a field visit to a waste landfill site to observe first-hand examples of waste management, which is an integral part of climate change mitigation efforts.
The team also visited a mangrove rehabilitation site which is likewise playing an important role in climate change mitigation efforts.
Source: US Embassy
