ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Indonesia marked the end of the 4.5-year-long implementation of the Ambitious City Promises (ACP) project as it handed over the Ikhtiar Jakarta sustainability outputs to the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government last 17 June 2021.

The ACP project outputs include: (1) the Promise of Jakarta which highlights low-emission development strategies; (2) the Ikhtiar Jakarta online citizen engagement platform; (3) interfaith religious guidebooks on climate action; (4) a pilot project on community-based waste management using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technology; and (5) the Youth Energizers pilot project for youth energy advocates.

Ari Mochamad, ICLEI Indonesia Country Manager, handed over the Ikhtiar Jakarta outputs to DKI Jakarta representatives with the hope that the outputs could be sustainably utilized and maintained.

Jakarta’s participation in the ACP and the production of the Ikhtiar Jakarta are in line with its commitment to reducing its emissions by 30% by 2030 as committed in the Governor Regulation No. 131 in 2012 concerning the Local Action Plan for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction of DKI Jakarta (RAD GRK).

HAND OVER OF IKHTIAR JAKARTA

Mr. Marullah Matali, Regional Secretary of DKI Jakarta (left), accepted the project outputs from Mr. Ari Mochammad, Country Manager of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Indonesia (right).

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Marullah Matali, Regional Secretary of DKI Jakarta, highlighted the importance of collaboration to accelerate the achievement of the city’s emissions reduction target. He also hoped that the platform could serve as a reference for the citizens in Jakarta and other cities to tackle climate change globally.

Expressing his commitment to the upkeep of Ikhtiar Jakarta, Mr. Matali said, “This platform will become an integral part of the priority policies of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government in the climate disaster mitigation and adaptation agenda,”

Moreover, Mr. Matali urged citizens of Jakarta to pledge their climate action support through the Ikhtiar Jakarta online citizen engagement platform.

STAKEHOLDER’S PLEDGE TO IMPLEMENT IKHTIAR JAKARTA

Representatives of NGOs, Waste Bank, Climate Village Program (PROKLIM), and students committed to implementing climate actions in Ikhtiar Jakarta.

Stakeholder engagement, inclusivity, and participation is at the heart of the ACP.

The project’s implementation in Jakarta engaged over 400 stakeholders during more than ten public discussions and workshops on how they can help the city meet its GHG reduction targets. Their inputs ultimately served to guide the Ikhtiar Jakarta document and the climate strategies and actions contained therein.

These stakeholder pledges include one from Aladdin Naufal Surahmam, an elementary school student and Energy Ambassador. Promising to continuously campaign energy saving to his family and friends, Mr. Surahmam said “Let us practice energy saving from now on and let all of us pledge our commitment to support DKI Jakarta towards a sustainable city.”

Responding to the stakeholder pledges, Ms. Erni Pelita Fitratunnisa, Head of the DKI Jakarta Environmental Agency Environment Management and Cleanliness Division, expressed her appreciation to all stakeholders who already pledged their commitment.

She said, “It is proof that addressing climate change in DKI Jakarta is done not only by the government but also by various stakeholders.”

Ms. Fitratunnisa hoped that the mutual commitment in Ikhtiar Jakarta can be implemented continuously through concrete action. “Together with the climate change working group, we will develop a detailed monitoring and evaluation mechanism from all of the pledged actions in Ikhtiar Jakarta,” Ms. Fitri added.

THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN SUPPORTING CLIMATE ACTIONS IN DKI JAKARTA

Indonesian religious groups are one of the stakeholders that have the most potential resources and influence to actively support the implementation of climate actions in Ikhtiar Jakarta. They share the same values to protect and conserve the environment and can mobilize their large communities.

As such, ACP tapped Islam, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, and Confucian religious leaders to develop interfaith guidebooks which tackle climate change. Specifically, the guidebooks consist of: (1) Religious Perspective on Human and Climate Change, (2) Eco-Preaching, and (3) Eco-Worship Building.

Prof. Dr. Emil Salim, Ph.D., Former Environment Minister of Indonesia, explained the important role of religion in addressing climate change

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Emil Salim, Ph.D., Former Environment Minister of Indonesia, highlighted the importance of these guidebooks.

“These guidebooks are a beginning step from all religions to increase awareness in protecting and preserving the environment. Religion instructs us not to destroy the natural environment as it is God’s creation,” said Mr. Salim.

He added, “(We) hope the journey (book) does not stop here, (as there is a need) to develop the spirit from all religions to (integrate) morality in daily activities.” He also mentioned that Jakarta could be a pilot city that demonstrated city development based on science and religious knowledge.

Representatives from six religious groups shared their strategies in disseminating the guidebooks to the community

As a next step, all religious stakeholders pledged to promote the guidebooks to their congregation and broader audience. Each religion already conducted Training of Trainers (ToT) to convey the modules and disseminate them to their preachers, with the ToT involving a total of around 180 people.

They will also engage civil society organizations and youth to be involved in the implementation of the guidebooks.