Four Indonesian mayors who were elected in 2020 announced a collective commitment to low-carbon and climate-resilient development goals by signing a Mayor’s Commitment on Monday (31/5). This move marks the strategic role that city governments hold in achieving Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29% independently, or by 41% with international assistance, by 2030.
The mayors of Bandar Lampung, Samarinda, Mataram, and Ternate signed the Mayor’s Commitment at the “Climate Resilience Policy Dialogue and Mayor’s Commitment Signing” event hosted by the Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cities (CRIC) Project. The CRIC Project is funded by the European Union and supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Its implementation involves ten Indonesian pilot cities committed to adopt climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.
“Indonesia local governments are finalising their Medium-Term Regional Development Plans, today’s event is a momentum to advocate for climate resilience integration into city development planning. The mayors who signed the commitment demonstrate their resolution to advance sustainable, climate-resilient, and inclusive development in the next five years,” says UCLG ASPAC’s Secretary-General Dr. Ir. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi MSc., MPP.
CRIC Project assists local governments to improve their capacities in Climate Action Plans formulation through a series of climate change mitigation and adaptation training. Ten selected pilot cities will develop measurable climate action proposals which can help them cut their carbon emissions and increase community adaptive capacity.
The Ministry of Environment and Forestry’s Director of Adaptation to Climate Change Sri Tantri Arundhati says that climate-resilient city is a key programme in Indonesia’s adaptation NDC to build ecosystem and landscape resilience, which is further elaborated in the updated NDC.
Indonesia has identified climate change as one of its development priorities as outlined in the National Medium-Term Development Plans 2020-2024. Indonesia also aims to formulate 20,000 climate villages (Proklim) by 2024, to which CRIC’s ten pilot cities could help to contribute.
The European Union reiterates its international commitment to climate change through the CRIC Project. “European Union, through European Green Deal, sets a road map that will take Europe as a climate-neutral continent while advancing sustainable development with our international partners. European Union supports and facilitates the development of innovation and knowledge to support climate actions at a city level through a long-lasting partnership between local governments, private sectors, universities and local communities,” says Henriette Faergemann, First Counsellor for Environment, Climate Action and Digital the European Union Delegation to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam.
Climate Change Policy Dialogue and Integrity Pact Signing takes place on Monday (31/5) from 10:00 (GMT+7). This is a hybrid event that combines an in-person event with a virtual event.