By: Ari Mochamad and Doddy S. Sukadri - Ari M. is a Program Director of Climate Change and Circular Economy, Save the Children - Indonesia; and Doddy S. S. is a Executive Director of Yayasan Mitra Hijau (Green Partner Foundation) Indonesia, UNITAR Climate Change Ambassador.
Jakarta's air pollution is currently the main talking issue in town. A lot of people blame transportation as the culprit, which is deemed to emit excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) gas exceeding the tolerated threshold from an environmental point of view. However, transportation is not the sole cause of the problem. There are many other causes besides the transportation, ranging from the electricity steam power plants that still use coal, industries that use non-renewable energy sources, industry and household waste, and land use change and forestry that forget the importance of rainwater absorption. Coupled with an energy-intensive lifestyle, all of this will add to the high level of air pollution.
According to the research done by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), all of GHG emissions are caused by various human activities (anthropogenic emission).
Indonesia Vision 2045
In 2045, at the 100th anniversary of Indonesia's independence, the children of the nation dream to see a clean and healthy environment that is managed wisely to realize the mandate of the 1945 Constitution to create sustainable community welfare. Sustainable means that the development involves all stakeholders and the results are distributed fairly and equitably to all communities. In this regard, it is very important to position environmental protection and management as the foundation to ensure that the social and economic aspect of life goes in a better direction. When linked to the current commitment of the Indonesian government, this dream can be placed within the framework of Low Carbon Emission and Resilience Development.
The IPCC report: 'Global Warming of 1.5 Degrees' (2018) reinforces the statement that the absence of coherent and consistent policies and implementation in addressing climate change will have a negative impact on the sustainability of future development. Therefore, the new upcoming 2024 government should place environmental management and climate change issues as strategic priorities towards Golden Indonesia 2045.
Challenges and Opportunities
The implementation of low carbon and climate resilience strategies requires a balanced focus on government coordination processes and stakeholder engagement, while also considering issues of equitable transition, gender, intergenerational, and the needs of vulnerable groups, indigenous peoples, and local communities. To achieve this objective, significant funding support is needed. The Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPLDH) stated that non-state budget is urgently required because of insufficiency of the public budget. Indonesia needs to seize the opportunities by continuing to prioritize assistance in the form of grants rather than the loans. It is particularly important to increase cooperation with the business sector and develop other financing innovations.
Indonesia's current and future challenges in the sustainable development and climate change agenda are in improving environmental management. Particularly in responding to the threat of climate change, and preparing domestic readiness through the establishment of clear, detailed work mechanisms and measurable work achievements. Clearness of the work mechanism is defined by the resulting attitudes that are consistently agreed upon by agencies or sectors. This is realized when the duties and functions of each sector are understood through the spirit of program integration.
Destruction and pollution of water, air, and land are still the main environmental challenges to date and in the future. There are a myriad of issues including garbage and waste, air pollution from mobile and stationary sources, groundwater and river pollution, groundwater extraction by industry and settlements, damage and changes in the function of forest land and its impact on the decline and loss of biodiversity in it, and damage and pollution that occur in the marine ecosystem. Destruction and pollution often occur and are followed by the emergence of economic and social conflicts and environmental disasters.
Greater and adverse impacts are the results of poor environmental management. In many cases, it is also exacerbated by violations of spatial planning policies, including weak enforcement of environmental laws. The conditions will result in an even worse impact when faced with climate change.
As a signatory of the Paris Agreement, Indonesia has submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Through the Long term Strategy for Low Carbon and Climate Resilience/LTM-LCCR 2050, Indonesia will increase its GHG reduction ambition for all sectors, which is expected to peak in 2030. Then, with consistent actions, there is a chance to make rapid progress towards net zero emissions by 2060 or sooner.
The current and future challenge will be in ensuring that the implementation of mitigation programs and activities can achieve the targeted goals; namely reducing the level of CO2 emissions. Similarly, adaptation actions need to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience. Both actions will require capacity building, technology development, and large funding, thus the synergy of the two will encourage efficiency and effectiveness of development. This means that the investment made must be able to support low-carbon and resilient development both at the national scale and at the scale of provinces, districts, and cities.
The Exit Strategy
Provincial and District/City initiatives to strengthen the sustainable development and climate change agenda into local policies are very important, and they need to be facilitated as well. The unique characteristics of geography, demography, and topography of each region are the reasons for the need for different approaches. The active involvement of city governments, for example, is considered very strategic considering that almost 70% of the world's people live in cities. Urbanization rates continue to increase over time. Due to its related dynamics, such as increased demand for energy, consumption, and land, cities are often blamed as one of the contributors to global warming.
Through a regional or local approach, it is easier to get closer to the micro-climate of the area. The validity of the policies formulated will be more accountable because it is based on micro-climate projection data in the region. This will result in mitigation and adaptation efforts that are more proactive to the trends that will occur.
Looking at the issue from another perspective, addressing climate change could become a momentum for the District/City in development transformation towards a low carbon and climate resilient region.
Extraordinary breakthroughs are needed in responding to the sustainability and climate change agenda. In the 2019-2024 State Budget Bill read by the President, the government has allocated a budget intended for capital expenditure, including the support of mitigation and adaptation actions. Based on budget tagging conducted by the Ministry of Finance, funds for climate change mitigation and adaptation activities in 2019 reached Rp83.5 trillion. There is no explanation why in 2019, this figure decreased compared to 2018, which reached Rp126.0 trillion. In 2020, it was recorded at Rp77.7 trillion.
Above all, this article is only a small snapshot of the big picture that is important in supporting efforts towards a low emission/carbon and climate resilient development framework. Therefore, multi-disciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration that is structured through systematic thinking needs to be done. So that in 2045 Indonesian will not only celebrate the 100th anniversary of the country, but also the improvement of governance on the sustainability agenda marked by low emission/carbon development programs, and the resilience of a region from climate change threats, impacts, and disasters.
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