Opening The 144th Session Of The IPU, Jokowi Is Worried That Climate Change Cannot Be Prevented If Renewable Energy Is Still A Discourse

Presidential Secretariat Youtube screenshot

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo opened the 144th Session of the Inter-Parliementary Union (IPU) and other related sessions at Mangupura Hall, Bali International Convention Center (BICC), Badung Regency, Bali.

The 144th session of the IPU was also attended by several state officials such as the Chair of the Indonesian Parliament, Puan Maharani, the Chair of the Constitutional Court, Anwar Usman, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President of the IPU Dwarte Pacheco, the legations of IPU member countries, ambassadors, and others.

In this event, Jokowi highlighted one of the serious problems currently facing the world, namely climate change. This issue has often been discussed in global meetings, but the field action has yet to be seen.

"I give an example of the energy transition from fossil energy to new renewable energy, from coal energy to renewable energy. It looks easy but in practice it is something that is very difficult in the field, especially for developing countries," said Jokowi in the Secretariat's Youtube video. President, Sunday, March 20.

Therefore, Jokowi underlined three steps to prevent climate change that must be mobilized, namely climate finance, renewable energy investment, and technology transfer.

Furthermore, Jokowi revealed that Indonesia has quite a lot of renewable energy potential. This includes hydro power from 4,400 rivers, geothermal potential with 29 thousand megawatts, abundant wind and underwater currents, and abundant solar energy. This potential, said Jokowi, needs to be supported by the three steps he mentioned earlier.

"We need a big investment, we need a technology transfer, we need global climate funding that is really supported by international parties. If it's only been discussed for years, there is no mobilization, and there is no decision. I am pessimistic that climate change is really It's true that we can't prevent it at all," explained Jokowi.

"I really appreciate if all parliaments in IPU member countries can mobilize together with the government, so that a decision emerges, an action that is really real and concrete, so that it can be implemented in the field," he added.

It is known, for the first time, that Indonesia will host the annual IPU session this year. The IPU is an inter-parliamentary collaboration from various countries which this year focuses on climate issues, gender equality, youth in politics, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.