President Joko Widodo Supports UN To Carry Out Climate Action

President Joko Widodo (central) met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) on the sidelines of the conference of the parties. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) affirms Indonesia's commitment to continue to support the United Nations (UN) in carrying out its functions and role in responding to global challenges, including to carry out climate actions.

This was conveyed by President Jokowi in a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai, UAE, on Saturday, in which President Jokowi explained a number of concrete steps taken by the Indonesian government in overcoming climate change.

To the Secretary General of the United Nations, President Jokowi said that Indonesia appreciates the initiative of a just energy transition partnership (JETP), which allows Indonesia to receive a commitment to funding the 20 billion US dollars energy transition (around Rp. 310 trillion) from a number of developed countries.

However, President Jokowi assessed that the composition of grants must be more constructive and global climate action cannot progress without the collaboration of all parties.

"Therefore, Indonesia supports the acceleration agenda in climate funding initiated by His Excellency (Secretary General of the United Nations) that developed countries must help developing countries," said Jokowi, in a written statement from the Press Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia.

President Jokowi assessed that the support of the Secretary General of the United Nations was very important so that COP28 agreed to operationalize loss and damage funding or funds to help developing countries overcome losses and social, economic and environmental damage due to the impact of climate change.

In addition, he also called for the importance of cooperation in financing new and renewable energy for developing countries.

Previously, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked COP28 participating countries to work together to protect all people from the climate crisis.

Year after year, the world's commitment to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is fading. And we are advancing towards a temperature increase of 3 degrees, but have not shown any signs of slowing down," Guterres said at the Local Climate Action Summit in Dubai, Friday (1/12).

At the same time, he said, developing countries do not get the support they need to adapt to disasters that occur around them and make leaps towards a renewable future.

He later said that the world needs to be committed to a clear time frame to stop the use of fossil fuels by a target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Therefore, Guterres asked leaders to invest in renewable energy-fueled public transportation infrastructure, as well as prioritize clean air and employment in a green economy.

"Let's unite and work together to protect all communities from the climate crisis, as well as encourage a renewable, sustainable and fair future for humans and planet Earth," he said.

As President of COP28 this year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced 30 billion US dollars (approximately IDR 462.5 trillion) to fund global climate solutions.

"The funds aim to bridge the financial gap over climate issues and will attract an investment of US$250 billion (around Rp3,854 trillion) by 2030," said UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a speech opening COP28.

He explained that the UAE had invested 100 billion US dollars (approximately IDR 1,541 trillion) to fund climate and renewable and clean energy actions, and committed to investing an additional 130 billion US dollars (approximately IDR 2,004 trillion) over the next seven years.