THE CONTRIBUTION OF UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) FOREIGN ASSISTANCE BY WINROCK INTERNATIONAL ON CAPACITY FOR INDONESIAN REDUCTION OF CARBON IN LAND USE AND ENERGY (CIRCLE) PROJECT: 2011 - 2016

Abstract

The CIRCLE project is the result of cooperation between Indonesia and the United States through the United States national agency, USAID. CIRCLE project focused on the development of palm oil liquid waste technology in the form of POME to become bioenergy. In its implementation, USAID as a donor agent appoints Winrock International, a non-governmental organization based in the United States as the project's implementer. The purpose of this paper is particularly to describe the results of this CIRCLE project in helping Indonesia achieve its Millennium Development Goal goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable energy use. The background of this writing is because Indonesia is one of the largest palm oil producers in the world. But with the increase of national palm oil production, it is also accompanied by the increase of farmland and forest degradation. Which is contrary to the objectives of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's declaration at the 15th Conference of Parties in Copenhagen, where he pledge to reduce Indonesi’s emissions by 26% or 41% with foreign assistance by 2020. The CIRCLE project in this respect has great potential to help Indonesia achieve the goal of reducing emissions. However, in its practice, the CIRCLE project has not been able to achieve its greatest potential due to some obstacles such as the long duration of licensing from local governments, as well as the interests of the United States to be maintained by USAID. But it does not mean CIRCLE Project fails, because this project goal is to provide knowledge and guidance about POME waste processing system which then hoped could be done independently by palm oil companies in Indonesia with the help of Indonesia government.