The Study of Philanthropic Funding for Energy Transition, Land Use, and Deforestation Nexus in Indonesia
This study delivers a targeted analysis of Indonesia’s climate philanthropy landscape at the intersection of energy transition, land use, and deforestation. It combines funding flow mapping, institutional analysis, and field-level insights to identify strategic gaps, underfunded areas, and high-impact opportunities.
Background
Indonesia has articulated ambitious climate commitments through its enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and net-zero target by 2060 or earlier; existing public and concessional finance remains insufficient to support the scale and pace of transformation required. While philanthropic capital represents a potentially catalytic source of climate finance, capable of supporting innovation, civil society engagement, policy experimentation, and high-risk, high-impact interventions. However, the current philanthropic funding landscape in Indonesia—particularly for forest and land-use related mitigation and integrated energy-land systems—remains fragmented, under-documented, and poorly coordinated. Available datasets lack granularity, sectoral disaggregation, and visibility of downstream impacts, especially at the subnational and community levels.
This project aims to generate a comprehensive and evidence-based understanding of philanthropic funding flows, trends, gaps, and strategic opportunities at the intersection of energy transition, land use change, and forest protection in Indonesia. The study will also facilitate dialogue among funders, intermediaries, civil society organizations, and policy stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and inform strategic philanthropic engagement that supports a just, inclusive, and sustainable transition
Approach
This study employs a multi-scalar analytical framework structured across three interconnected levels. At the macro level, the analysis maps the overall distribution of philanthropic funding across sectors, modalities, and regions — identifying patterns of concentration, neglect, and structural imbalance within the forest-energy-land use nexus. Furthermore, examining both the quantity and quality of funding. At the meso level, the study moves from distribution to strategy, analyzing how philanthropic foundations design and implement their funding strategies within the nexus. At the micro level, the analysis traces how funding is experienced in practice — particularly by local implementing partners in regions where nexus pressures are most acute.
Together, these three levels are not independent modules but a cumulative analytical argument: the macro establishes what the landscape looks like, the meso explains why it is structured that way, and the micro reveals what that structure costs on the ground.