Jakarta, August 29, 2024 – Indonesia is at a crucial crossroads for both its democracy and its climate policies. As the deadline for Indonesia’s submission of its Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC) approaches in September 2024, a coalition of civil society organizations is urging the government to seize this moment to reshape climate commitments toward a more just, democratic, and inclusive process.

The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) is currently preparing the SNDC document, representing Indonesia in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

“The government must prioritize social justice by recognizing the rights and addressing the needs of vulnerable communities most affected by climate change, such as small farmers, traditional fishers, and Indigenous peoples. Only by acknowledging these groups,  we can achieve true climate justice and a just transition,” said Torry Kuswardono, Executive Director of Yayasan PIKUL, at the launch of the Recommendations for a Just SNDC, supported by 64 Indonesian civil society organizations. This document has been submitted to the MoEF as input from civil society.

 

Rising Climate Disasters and Persistent Injustice

Data from the National Disaster Management Agency highlights an alarming 81% increase in climate-related disasters, from 1,945 incidents in 2010 to 3,544 in 2022, impacting over 20 million people. The IPCC’s 2023 report underscores that 79% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from energy, industry, transportation, and building sectors, while agriculture, forestry, and land use contributes 22%, contributing to the ongoing exploitation of natural resources and land.

Despite Indonesia’s policies aimed at tackling climate change—such as the commitment to net zero emissions by 2060 or sooner, Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Development, the National Energy Transition, Indonesia FOLU Net Sink 2030, and carbon pricing —there is a growing concern that these efforts fall short of the global target to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The coalition warns that this will put Indonesia’s most vulnerable groups—small farmers, traditional fishers, adat communities (indigenous peoples), women, people with disabilities, and others—at even greater risk, as they continue to bear the brunt of climate change without being major contributors to the problem.

 

Voices from the Frontlines

“In the past decade, climate action in Indonesia has often exacerbated the vulnerabilities of those it was meant to protect,” said Torry Kuswardono, Executive Director of Yayasan PIKUL. “Instead of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, development strategies have legitimized environmental destruction and the displacement of vulnerable communities. Cases like the nickel mining projects, the Rempang Eco City, Wadas, and the new national capital city (IKN) illustrate how climate action can sometimes lead to further injustice.”

The “Recommendations for a Just SNDC” details how vulnerable communities, despite not causing climate change, continue to suffer from its impacts. The coalition emphasizes that the government’s previous commitments to respect human rights and protect Indigenous peoples in its Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (ENDC) document have not been fully realized.

 

Protecting Indigenous Territories

The fundamental demands for recognizing and protecting Indigenous territories and their associated rights have not been met. The Indigenous Territory Registration Agency (Badan Registrasi Wilayah Adat/BRWA) has independently registered 30.2 million hectares of customary territories, including 23.2 million hectares of customary forests. However, during President Joko Widodo’s 10-year administration, only 1.1% of these Indigenous forests—just 265,250 hectares—have been officially recognized.

“Although Indigenous peoples make up only 6.2% of the global population, they protect 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity and safeguard one-third of the world’s remaining natural forests,” said Ihsan Maulana, Advocacy and Policy Researcher at WGII.

 

Traditional Fishers and Climate Challenges

A 2023 survey by the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen’s Union (KNTI) revealed that climate change has significantly impacted traditional fishers, with 72% reporting a decrease in catch, 83% seeing a drop in profits, and 86% facing higher risks of accidents.

“This situation is dire for traditional fishers, who are already struggling to make ends meet,” said Hendra Wiguna, Chairman of the Indonesian Coastal Students’ and Youth Union. “While the state promotes fish as a nutritious food source, the livelihoods of traditional fishers are deteriorating.”

 

The Impact on Women and People with Disabilities

Women, particularly in rural areas, face added burdens due to climate-induced droughts. In the villages of Kalikur and Tobotani in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara, women must walk kilometers to find water. In urban areas, household expenditures swell to purchase clean water. In some regions, such as the Dayak Ngaju communities in Kapuas Regency, changing climate patterns have disrupted traditional farming practices, forcing women to buy food from outside their villages.

“Women are among the most vulnerable but also the most resilient in the face of climate change,” said Andriyeni, Program Coordinator of Women Solidarity (Solidaritas Perempuan).

People with disabilities are also disproportionately affected by climate change due to existing structural barriers and limited access to resources. “When disasters strike, people with disabilities face a death rate that is four times higher due to a lack of inclusive support,” said Fatum Ade, Advocacy Coordinator of the Mental Health Association (Perkumpulan Jiwa Sehat/PJS).

 

Intergenerational Justice, Urban Challenges, and Protecting Ecosystems

Masagus Fathan from Climate Rangers Jakarta emphasized that the zero-emission commitment must also tackle intergenerational justice through community-based partnerships and equitable funding distribution. The IPCC Synthesis Report 2023 highlights that people born between 1980 and 2020 are experiencing temperature increases of 0.5-3°C higher than those born between 1950 and 1980 within their lifetimes.

Syaharani, Acting Head of the Environmental Governance and Climate Justice Division at the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), stressed that transitioning to renewable energy is a crucial first step toward achieving climate justice. “The Second NDC must target 60% renewable energy by 2030 to align with the 1.5°C goal,” she stated.

In urban areas, emissions from the waste sector have risen by 33.47% between 2015 and 2022, from 97.539 gigatons of carbon dioxide in 2015 to 130.188 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) in 2022.

Abdul Ghofar, Campaign Manager for Pollution and Urban Issues at Friends of the Earth Indonesia (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup/WALHI), emphasized that the government must take bold and ambitious actions to cut emissions in the waste sector. “This includes focusing on reducing methane emissions from domestic solid waste by minimizing organic waste in landfills and implementing measures such as banning open waste burning, halting closed burning at waste-to-energy plants, and stopping co-burning in coal-fired power plants and cement factories,” he said.

Nadia Hadad, Executive Director of Yayasan MADANI Berkelanjutan, stressed that protecting ecosystems across landscapes must be a priority in addressing the climate crisis. In the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (ENDC), the forestry and land use sector (FOLU) is responsible for 55% of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emission reduction. While the FOLU sector is often viewed primarily as a carbon sink, its role extends far beyond just carbon.

“Emission reduction efforts must be approached holistically, with a focus on ecosystems, not just the economic aspects of carbon. It’s essential to ensure that communities can survive amid the climate crisis,” said Nadia.

 

Calls to Action

In light of the ongoing democracy and climate crisis in Indonesia, the coalition of civil society organizations demands the following actions from the government:

1. Protect democracy and constitutional human rights: The coalition calls on the government to uphold democratic principles, ensuring that the voices of all groups, especially the vulnerable, are heard and respected in climate-related decision-making. It also demands an end to all forms of repression that prevent citizens from expressing their opinions and exercising their rights to free expression.
2. Recognize and protect vulnerable groups: The coalition urges the government to acknowledge and safeguard the rights and needs of vulnerable groups, including their intersecting identities, in all climate actions in Indonesia. The “Just Transition” section of the SNDC must explicitly recognize and protect these vulnerable communities and integrate this into all climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
3. Meaningful public participation: The coalition calls for meaningful public participation at every stage of climate action in Indonesia. This includes establishing mechanisms for genuine public engagement in the development and implementation of SNDC-related policies.
4. Fair climate action: The coalition urges the government to ensure that climate actions deliver greater benefits to vulnerable groups while placing the larger burden of emission reductions on the highest emitters, particularly those who have profited from the release of greenhouse gases.
5. Commit to restoring rights and living spaces: The coalition calls on the government to pair its climate commitments with strategies to restore the living spaces and rights of vulnerable groups affected by climate change, climate action, and development activities. This also includes enforcing laws against environmental destruction and human rights violations, as well as revising legislation that grants impunity to those responsible for these crimes.
6. Adopt an integrated climate approach: The coalition urges the government to adopt an integrated approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation, focusing on landscape resilience to ensure everyone’s right to a safe and sustainable living environment.

 

Contact Information

Torry Kuswardono
Executive Director, Yayasan PIKUL
torry@pikul.id
+62 811-383-270

Hendra Wiguna
Chairman, Indonesian Coastal Students’ and Youth Union
hwiguna16@gmail.com
+62 856-0022-3661

Ihsan Maulana
Policy Engagement Officer, Working Group ICCAs Indonesia
ihsanmaulana1@gmail.com
+62 812-9290-9933

Andriyeni
Program Coordinator, Women Solidarity
andriyeni@solidaritasperempuan.org
+62 812-6790-950

Fatum Ade
Advocacy Coordinator, Perkumpulan Jiwa Sehat
fatumade24@gmail.com
+62 822-2664-7301

Abdul Ghofar
Campaign Manager for Pollution and Urban Issues, Friends of the Earth Indonesia
ghofar@walhi.or.id
+62 856-4552-0982

Nadia Hadad
Executive Director, Yayasan MADANI Berkelanjutan
nadia@madaniberkelanjutan.id
+62 811-132-081

Syaharani
Acting Head of Environmental Governance and Climate Justice Division, ICEL
syaharani@icel.or.id
+62 851-5687-4204

photo : https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2021/12/19/activists-demand-indonesian-climate-leadership-during-g20-presidency.html