Prabowo Denies Trump: Real Climate Change, Not Fraud

President Prabowo Subianto at the UN General Assembly, New York, United States, Tuesday 23 September 2025 (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto in his speech at the 80th General Assembly of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, emphasized that the impact of climate change is a real threat faced by many countries, including Indonesia.

From the podium at General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters, New York, United States, Tuesday (23/9) local time, President Prabowo denied and disagreed with the contents of US President Donald Trump's speech which did not accept the fact of climate change, and called it the "Great con job ever interpreted on the world".

"We, as the largest archipelagic country in the world, in the presence of the honorable all testified, we have experienced a direct impact from climate change, in particular the threat of rising sea level. Sea level on the northern coast of our nation's capital rose 5 centimeters each year. Can you imagine how high it is in 10 years? In 20 years?" President Prabowo said in front of hundreds of more heads of state and delegates of UN member countries during the 80th Assembly of the United Nations General Assembly.

Therefore, Prabowo continued that Indonesia chose to face the threat of the impact of climate change directly, not only with slogans, but with concrete actions, including by building a giant sea wall sea embankment along the coast of the North Coast of Java.

"We were forced to build a giant sea embankment, 480 kilometers long. We may need 20 years to build that, but we have no other choice. We have to start acting now," said the President.

In addition, the President continued that Indonesia is also committed to fulfilling its obligations as stipulated in the 2015 Paris Agreement, and is trying to achieve the net-zero emission target by 2060.

"We are targeting emission-free by 2060, but we believe we can achieve that more quickly," the President said.

Prabowo continued that his current government is also planting barren lands covering an area of more than 12 million hectares, suppressing cases of deforestation, as well as empowering local communities around the forest by providing sustainable work and not damaging nature.

"Indonesia is currently also firm (with its commitment, ed.) to move from fossil fuel-based development to new and renewable energy-based development. Starting next year, most of our additional electricity capacity will be obtained from new and renewable energy-based power plants," said President Prabowo.

The general debate session is the core event of the 80th Assembly of the United Nations General Assembly.

Presiden Prabowo naik podium pada urusan ketiga, setelah Presiden Brasil Luiz Inighcio Lula da Silva pada urusan pertama, dan Presiden AS Donald Trump pada urusan kedua. Tradisinya, Brazil selalu berbicara pada urusan pertama dalam Sidang Majelis Umum PBB, dan AS selalu berbicara pada urutan kedua selaku tuan rumah.

President Prabowo's presence directly at the United Nations Headquarters at the 80th UN General Assembly was also the first presence of the head of state of Indonesia after being absent for 10 years at the UN annual forum.