Prince William welcomes Indonesia’s forest protection commitments at COP31

Britain's Prince William has welcomed Indonesia's commitments to protect its forests, including plans to prevent agricultural expansion into forested areas and increase the number of forest rangers and wildfire-response personnel.

Britain’s Prince William has welcomed Indonesia’s commitments to protect its forests, including plans to prevent agricultural expansion into forested areas and increase the number of forest rangers and wildfire-response personnel.

In a message shared by Kensington Palace, the Prince of Wales said he was encouraged by Indonesia’s pledges, announced at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye.

“The world’s forests are one of our greatest natural treasures, and protecting them is vital for our collective future,” William said.

He welcomed Indonesia’s plans to increase its forest ranger and wildfire-response workforce from 8,000 to 70,000 and reaffirm its $1 billion investment commitment to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility, a forest conservation financing initiative.

“These are important steps towards a future where nature and communities can thrive together. Congratulations to Indonesia, and to everyone working to turn this ambition into reality,” he said.

The message was accompanied by a video about the Earthshot Prize, the environmental initiative founded by William. The video said that more than one billion hectares of tropical forest could be protected by 2030 if countries acted now.