President Joko Widodo explained that with its rich natural potential, Indonesia continues to contribute in handling climate change. This was stated by President Joko Widodo when speaking at the World Leaders' Summit on Climate Change or COP26 at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow, Scotland, Monday (1/11). He added that the rate of deforestation fell significantly, the lowest over the last 20 years. Forest fires decreased 82 percent in 2020.
On that occasion, President Joko Widodo also pointed out concrete actions that have been taken, starting from the rehabilitation of mangrove forests with a target of 600 thousand hectares by 2024 until the rehabilitation of 3 million critical forests from 2010 - 2019. Other actions that have been taken by Indonesia are the development of an electric car ecosystem, the construction of the largest solar power plant in Southeast Asia, the use of new and renewable energy, including biofuels, and the development of clean energy-based industries, as well as the construction of the world's largest green industrial area in North Kalimantan.
What's interesting about what President Joko Widodo stated at the summit which was attended by nearly 200 countries was that President Joko Widodo loudly questioned how much contribution and technology transfer of the developed countries could be shared with Indonesia. He also emphasized the need for immediate concrete action and implementation.
The concrete action must be shown immediately by all parties. On various occasions, this was also pointed out by Indonesia to the leaders of developed countries, such as in a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the COP 26 Summit. As reported by VOA, President Joe Biden supported Indonesia's proposal to urge rich countries to assist poor countries in mitigating climate change for their climate action plans.
The statement and question disclosed by President Joko Widodo at the World Leaders' Summit on Climate Change are the consistency of the commitment. Indonesia has been working hard to fulfill that commitment to achieve its zero emission target by 2060, not just rhetoric. Of course, it can't work alone.