By: Rano Hidayat)*
Indonesia officially opened the International Indonesia Sustainability Forum on September 5, 2024 at the Jakarta Convention Center. In the event opened by President Joko Widodo, Indonesia again called for the importance of collaboration between all parties to realize sustainable development.
In the opening of the forum, President Joko Widodo invited all countries to work together in addressing increasingly pressing environmental issues. President Jokowi also emphasized the importance of global collaboration to achieve sustainable development goals.
As a concrete step, Indonesia is committed to achieving net-zero emissions and contributing to the world, with abundant renewable energy potential, such as floating solar power plants in the Cirata Reservoir and the largest mangrove forest in the world.
The 2024 Indonesia Sustainability Forum has a different weight from previous meetings in terms of the number of invitations and the issues discussed, as well as the decisions that have been made.
The international meeting of the Indonesia Sustainability Forum resulted in a number of strategic agreements that can serve as a reference for all participating countries in facing various global problems that are currently being faced together.
The threat of increasing global destruction that is not easily remedied is homework for all participating countries and is a challenge for the world in general.
Indonesia since the first ISF implementation in 2023, Indonesia has taken a strategic role. Many important decisions were made on Indonesia’s initiative. As a country that has experience in dealing with global situations, Indonesia is currently one of the driving forces for developing countries in dealing with various phenomena
The 2023 Indonesia Sustainability Forum has been a huge success, with a large number of participants, namely more than 2,500 participants from more than 40 countries. The two-day forum as part of the pre-event of the 2023 ASEAN Summit featured 24 plenary and thematic sessions, supported by 12 domestic and international sponsors and 13 knowledge partners.This high-impact event resulted in the signing of 8 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and marked the inauguration of the first State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Sustainability Academy in Indonesia. Among the invited guests who attended were more than 10 heads of state, ministers, and leaders of international institutions, including the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, the Managing Director of the IMF, and the President of the World Bank.
The world faces unprecedented risks and the threat of irreversible damage from rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a country, Indonesia has the potential to be a leader in global climate efforts. With its vast renewable energy potential of over 440 GW and reserves of minerals critical for decarbonization such as nickel, tin, and copper, Indonesia is well-positioned to drive sustainable industrial development. Indonesia also has diverse ecosystems that store up to 1 Gt of CO2, playing a critical role in global carbon sequestration.
Against this backdrop, the Indonesia Sustainability Forum (ISF) was established as a platform to foster collaboration and sharing of best practices among stakeholders in decarbonization actions, which will ultimately advance global collective efforts in pursuing sustainable growth.
Indonesia is open to partner with anyone to maximize the potential of green energy, drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth. This forum is a place to exchange knowledge, experiences, and resources in facing climate challenges.
Deputy for Infrastructure and Transportation Coordination of the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment Rachmat Kaimuddin said that this event brought together world leaders, CEOs, and sustainability experts in encouraging business breakthroughs to address climate change issues. Various things that can be identified in climate change related to energy transition, green industry,
The issues raised are very fundamental, namely the Energy Transition, where the Energy Transition in developing countries is currently not optimized. This requires concrete encouragement from all participants from various parties to take strategic steps in dealing with energy problems. Each country has a central role in controlling and empowering energy so that the future of the whole world about energy can be answered with various steps through elaboration.
Green Industry: Energy Storage Solution and the Role of Critical Minerals or Green Industry, Energy Storage Solution and the Role of Critical Minerals. This issue has an appeal because it is expected to be a solution in optimizing energy use. Green energy which prioritizes efficiency and effectiveness in using resources sustainably in the production process in order to balance industrial development with maintaining environmental functions that are beneficial to humans.
ISF is a forum for stakeholders to share knowledge, create collaborations, and formulate concrete steps for a better future. Therefore, full support from the community is needed so that the smooth running of this forum can run well and be successful as desired.
)* The author is an observer of international relations