Ecobiz.asia — UK and Indonesia stepped up cooperation to protect biodiversity, local communities and key species such as the endangered Sumatran elephant, as the two countries rolled out a new Strategic Partnership.
The cooperation was highlighted at a high-level forum at Lancaster House in London on Wednesday (Jan. 21, 2026) aimed at mobilising international support for conservation of Indonesia’s high-value ecosystems, including through the Peusangan Elephant Conservation Initiative (PECI) in Aceh province.
The forum was hosted by Britain’s Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Seema Malhotra, and Indonesia’s Presidential Special Envoy for Energy and Environment, Hashim Djojohadikusumo.
It was attended by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, government ministers, business leaders, philanthropies and civil society groups, including the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance (CBA).
The discussions were followed by a reception attended by King Charles III, the founder of CBA, who has long championed nature-based economic transitions since his time as Prince of Wales.
“Britain is proud to work with Indonesia to protect nature, including the Sumatran elephant,” Malhotra said. “Projects like PECI help safeguard the environment while supporting communities and jobs, showing how international cooperation can tackle climate change and biodiversity loss at the same time.”
PECI was presented as a model of integrated landscape management that combines elephant conservation, sustainable agroforestry and community-based economic development. The initiative is seen as a practical blueprint for a “nature-first” development approach in Indonesia.
By protecting the habitat of the critically endangered Sumatran elephant, the programme also aims to strengthen climate resilience for local communities, including by reducing risks from floods and other climate-related disasters.
Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the PECI programme in Aceh was expanded to around 90,000 hectares in August 2025 under President Prabowo’s leadership, with further plans to develop agroforestry, conservation-based ecotourism and carbon economic value mechanisms as part of a national conservation model.
WWF-Indonesia Chief Executive Aditya Bayunanda said protecting the Peusangan elephant landscape was critical for safeguarding water sources and carbon stocks amid the global climate crisis. Circular Bioeconomy Alliance Chief Executive Marc Palahí said the initiative demonstrated how integrated, landscape-level solutions could be replicated across Indonesia.
The conservation cooperation forms part of the broader UK–Indonesia Strategic Partnership launched on Jan. 20, 2026, by President Prabowo and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The partnership rests on four pillars covering economic growth, climate, energy and nature, defence and security, and people-to-people ties. ***
