President Prabowo Calls for Concrete Climate Action at UN General Assembly
President Prabowo Subianto delivers a speech during the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the United States of America, Tuesday (09/23) (Photo: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)
President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, declared that Indonesia has achieved a historic breakthrough in the food sector in 2025. The statement was delivered in his inaugural address at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States, on Tuesday (09/23).
According to President Prabowo, Indonesia’s rice production and national food reserves have reached record levels, enabling the country not only to achieve self-sufficiency but also to begin exporting rice. “We are now self-sufficient in rice and we are starting now to export rice to other nations in need, including providing rice for Palestine,” he affirmed.
The President underscored that food security must be built on innovation and sustainability. To this end, Indonesia is developing a resilient supply chain, strengthening farmers’ productivity, and investing in climate-smart agriculture.
“This is to ensure food security for our children and for the children of the world. We are confident that in a few years’ time, Indonesia will be the granary of the world,” he added.
On that occasion, the Head of State also addressed the tangible impacts of climate change faced by Indonesia as an archipelagic nation. He noted that rising sea levels already pose a serious threat.
“The sea level on the north coast of our capital city is increasing by five centimeters every year. Can you imagine in 5 years? Can you imagine in 10 years? Can you imagine in 20 years? For this, we are forced to build a giant sea wall, 480 kilometers in length. It will take us maybe 20 years, but we have no choice. We have to start now,” he stated.
President Prabowo further emphasized that Indonesia chooses to confront climate change through concrete action rather than slogans. The country is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement and is targeting net-zero emissions by 2060 or earlier.
“We aim to reforest more than 12 million hectares of degraded forest, to reduce forest degradation, to empower local communities with quality green jobs for the future. Indonesia is shifting decisively from fossil-fuel–based development towards renewable–based development. From next year, most of our additional power generation capacity will come from renewables,” he explained.
The President concluded by reaffirming Indonesia’s vision:
“Our goal is clear—to lift all Indonesians out of poverty and make Indonesia a hub for solutions to food, energy, and water security.” (BPMI of the Presidential Secretariat) (AY/LW)
