Setting the event’s context, Yulia Suryati, the Director of Climate Change Mitigation at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, reiterated the Government of Indonesia’s low carbon development commitments by quoting the country’s Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (ENDC). Indonesia has now increased its targets to reduce GHG emissions by 2030 from 29% to 31.89% and 41% to 43.20% under unconditional mitigation and conditional mitigation scenarios—respectively.

To achieve these targets, the Government employs several strategies, including through Program Kampung Iklim (ProKlim) or Climate Village Program, an innovative program designed to increase the participation of communities in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts at the local level. In South Sulawesi alone, 119 ProKlim locations have successfully reduced over 200,000 tons of CO2eq between 2018 and 2022. Additionally, Yulia also emphasized the urgent need to develop and leverage innovative financing mechanisms to support the country’s climate ambitions.

During the talk show, Dwi Irianti Hadiningdyah highlighted how the Government of Indonesia has taken innovative approaches to bridge the financing gap through issuance of Green Sukuk since 2018, with support from UNDP. She added that the Sharia-based instrument has allowed for sustainable and impactful investments, and applauded the great interest shown by young investors to investing beyond profit—but also impact. In South Sulawesi, Green Sukuk issuances were able finance multiple, green-labelled projects, including on sustainable transportation, flood prevention and control, and coastal protection.

Completing the talk show lineup was Adi Prasetyo, Head of the River and Coastal Area Office, Ministry of Public Works and Housing, and Renaldi, member of Lima Putra Pesisir, where both expanded upon the real on-the-ground activities undertaken for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The Ministry constructs, among others, dams, flood warning systems and control, water retaining structures, as well as coastal protection structures across the country, while Lima Putra Pesisir—a local youth-led community—focuses on coastal flora and fauna conservation, especially sea turtles and mangroves, as well as community empowerment.