President Jokowi Invites All Parties to Fight against Climate Change

President Jokowi delivers remarks at the LIKE (Environment, Climate, Forestry, Energy) Festival: Road to COP28 UNFCCC-UAE 2023, at the Indonesia Arena, the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex, Jakarta, Monday (09/18). (Photo by: PR of Cabinet Secretariat/Jay)

In a bid to mitigate climate change, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo urged all parties to be aware of the impacts of climate change and join forces to protect the surrounding environment.

“I call on environment activists, custom leaders, social forestry groups, and agricultural extension workers to rehabilitate, restore our forests. The Government together with communities and environmental activists should start planting trees when the rainy season comes. Agree?” the President said at the LIKE (Environment, Climate, Forestry, Energy) Festival: Road to COP28 UNFCCC-UAE 2023, at the Indonesia Arena, the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex, Jakarta, Monday (09/18).

Increased Earth’s temperature has resulted in the melting of polar ice, sea level rise, and the sinking of several small islands in the Pacific.

To that end, the President also urged the community to collaborate in planting mangroves along the coastline.

“Take Denpasar as an example. The region has a nursery capacity of producing up to six million seedlings annually. We previously showed it to the leaders of G20 countries and they were amazed by the seeding process. That’s mangrove restoration,” he said.

Not only in Denpasar, he continued, Indonesia also has several nurseries in other regions, such as the Mentawir Nursery in the Nusantara Capital (IKN) in East Kalimantan, and the Rumpin Nursery in Bogor, West Java.

“The nursery was established before the development of the IKN with a capacity of 15 million seedlings each year. You can see the results now if you visit Mentawir, East Kalimantan. Another nearby nursery is located in Rumpin, Bogor, with an annual capacity of six million seedlings, including albasia seeds, eucalyptus seeds, and durian seeds,” he added.

The President also pointed out that countries worldwide are currently undergoing an energy transition towards green energy. They also promote waste recycling activities, production of green industrial products, electric vehicles, and the use of biodiesel and bioethanol.

“Green initiatives are being implemented across the globe. The battery industry for electric vehicles has started. We don’t want to lose the opportunity to build an electric vehicle battery industry because we have the raw materials here. We have nickel, cobalt, manganese,” he stated.

On that occasion, the President also encouraged mining entrepreneurs to have nursery centers and reforest their ex-mining lands.

“After mining, seedlings should be planted immediately to prevent further environmental damage. This is mandatory. There is a ministerial regulation for this matter,” he stressed, while encouraging all parties to join hands to maintain the country’s green environment.

“Once again, let us protect our biotic and abiotic environment to ensure that our country, Indonesia, will remain green with a healthy environment and clean air, so we can enjoy the life we cherish in our beloved country,” the President remarked. (TGH/UN) (RIF/RAS/MUR)