[Jakarta, 18 June 2025] Amid an increasingly evident global climate crisis, the world needs leadership—not caution that leads to stagnation. Indonesia, as the country with the third-largest tropical forests in the world and a global center of biodiversity, bears a strategic responsibility to be part of the solution. However, the delay in submitting the Second Nationally Determined Contribution (Second NDC) document and the discourse around adjusting the FOLU Net Sink 2030 target toward a less ambitious direction instead send a signal that runs counter to global expectations of Indonesia. This was conveyed by Nadia Hadad, Executive Director of MADANI Berkelanjutan, in response to a statement by the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, who said that the Second NDC must be “realistic, inclusive, and implementable.”

The Second NDC (SNDC) is the latest version of a country’s national climate contribution (NDC), which must be updated every five years in accordance with the mandate of the Paris Agreement. The year 2025 marks a critical milestone: all countries are required to submit new NDCs that are ambitious, progressive, and aligned with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5°C. However, the collective ambition of existing NDCs would still place the world on a 2.5–2.9°C warming pathway—far beyond the safe limit of 1.5°C. Without a significant strengthening of SNDCs this year, the world is instead heading toward disaster.

In his public statement on 16 June 2025, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni said that the SNDC must be prepared in a realistic, inclusive, and implementable manner. He also stated that overly ambitious targets could harm Indonesia’s diplomatic standing if they are ultimately not achieved.

“It is precisely at moments like this that the world needs countries that are bold enough to lead with high ambition. Strong commitments backed by concrete policies are far more valued than caution that ultimately sets back collective global progress. And what would truly tarnish Indonesia’s diplomatic standing is lowering ambition at a time when the world is strengthening it,” added Nadia Hadad. “FOLU Net Sink 2030 is a commitment that has already gained global recognition. Weakening it simply out of concern that it may not be achieved is not leadership—it is regression.”

Raja Juli’s statement that the net sink target must be considered realistically by taking into account various national development dynamics, such as food security and bioenergy development, further reinforces concerns that Indonesia may retreat from the ambition it has already pledged. In fact, safeguarding forests and ecosystems is the primary pillar of Indonesia’s mitigation strategy and biodiversity protection.

MADANI Berkelanjutan emphasizes that the SNDC must serve as a milestone to strengthen Indonesia’s development trajectory toward sustainability and climate justice. Delays will only increase future economic, social, and ecological risks. Indonesia must reinforce—not weaken—its strategic position on the international stage, especially as the country with the world’s third-largest tropical forests.

Last year, on 29 August 2024, 64 organizations within the Civil Society Coalition for a Just SNDC submitted a set of SNDC recommendations to the Government of Indonesia ahead of COP in Baku. These recommendations stressed the importance of ambition aligned with science, social justice, and the active involvement of vulnerable groups and civil society in the drafting process. In the media release at that time, Nadia Hadad emphasized, “The government must open space for meaningful participation, involving vulnerable groups and civil society so that the SNDC reflects the needs of the people, not merely accommodations for industrial sectors. Otherwise, we will end up with a document that looks neat on paper but fails to respond to the crisis.”

Today, MADANI Berkelanjutan once again urges the Government to immediately submit an ambitious and just SNDC. “The FOLU Net Sink target must be maintained as the backbone of mitigation efforts, and adaptation measures must be implemented inclusively, prioritizing those most affected. Without justice, there can be no acceptable transition. High ambition is not at odds with reality—it is the only path to ensuring a livable future for all Indonesians,” Nadia Hadad concluded.

Media Contact:
Luluk Uliyah, Media & Stakeholder Engagement, MADANI Berkelanjutan
Email: luluk@madaniberkelanjutan.id