RRI.CO.ID, London - The Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, reaffirmed Indonesia's commitment to building a strong, sustainable, and globally competitive conservation system by developing innovative, investment-based financing for conservation areas and biodiversity protection. This statement was made at the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) Roundtable Meeting held in London as part of London Climate Action Week 2026.

In a press statement received by RRI VOI from the Ministry of Forestry on Thursday, June 25, 2026, the Minister emphasized that Indonesia is developing a new approach to conservation management. He stated that it will no longer rely entirely on public financing, but instead will open up space for credible, integrated investments that provide tangible benefits for communities, nature, and the climate.

"Indonesia is not just developing a financing strategy. We are building a new paradigm of conservation governance, where national parks are financially independent, communities are key partners, the private sector plays a meaningful role, and the state provides a strong regulatory framework to ensure all mechanisms operate accountably and sustainably," Raja Juli said.

As part of President Prabowo Subianto's directive, the Indonesia's government has established a Task Force on Innovative Financing for National Park Management and Iconic Species Conservation. This Task Force is led by Hashim S. Djojohadikusumo, the President's Special Envoy for Climate and Energy, with support from Mari Elka Pangestu, the President's Special Envoy for Trade and Multilateral Cooperation, and the Minister of Forestry as Deputy Chair for Regulatory Reform.

The Task Force targets at least 13 national parks and two iconic species conservation areas to achieve financial independence by 2030. To achieve this target, Indonesia is implementing a dual strategy through regulatory reform and institutional strengthening, while simultaneously encouraging investment mobilization through innovative financial development instruments and partnership strategies with various parties.

He explained that this approach is built on four main pillars: the development of innovative financing instruments, regulatory reform, communication strategies, and strengthening governance and the secretariat. These four pillars are designed to ensure that conservation financing development is measurable, transparent, and has strong social and institutional foundations.

On this occasion, Indonesia also introduced the concept of "Natural Ecosystems as a New Asset Class." This concept is an approach that views natural ecosystems as strategic assets capable of generating sustainable economic benefits while maintaining their ecological functions.

Various instruments being developed include carbon credits, biodiversity credits, species conservation bonds, ecotourism, bioprospecting, utilization of non-timber forest products, and various public-private partnership schemes. This approach is expected to open new investment opportunities that support conservation while improving the welfare of communities surrounding the area.

As a major pilot project, Indonesia introduced the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) in Aceh. This initiative is designed to demonstrate that wildlife protection, habitat connectivity, and community economic development can be integrated within a single conservation ecosystem.