50+ journalists trained in ICLEI Indonesia climate change coverage workshop

(in photo above, from left) Suryani Amin, ICLEI Indonesia National Coordinator for the Urban Shift Project; Ratnasari SH., M.Si., Head of the Energy Sector GHG Inventory and IPPU Section, Ministry of Environment and Forestry; and journalist Untung Widyanto during the media workshop.

Over 50 journalists from various Indonesian media organizations attended the ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Indonesia Office’s media workshop themed “Accelerating the Achievement of Low Carbon and Climate Resilience Development Targets.”

Held virtually via Zoom and in-person at Hotel Ibis Jakarta Tamarin last 7 December 2021, the workshop aimed to highlight mass media’s crucial role in educating the public about climate change issues and inspiring multi-level and multi-sectoral climate actions.

The media training is part of the One Planet City Challenge (OPCC).

(in photo above) Physical and online participants during the ICLEI Indonesia media workshop held last 7 December 2021.

 

“ICLEI is committed to supporting environmental initiatives at the local level. Part of that commitment is sharing the climate change adaptation efforts of local governments with the public at large. This is best done in cooperation with journalists whose stories can rouse further support for low-carbon and climate-resilient development,” said ICLEI Indonesia Country Manager Ari Mochamad during the workshop’s opening.

Speakers from the government and private sectors were tapped to share their insights regarding climate change issues.

Ratnasari SH., M.Si, Head of the Energy Sector GHG Inventory and IPPU Section of the Directorate of Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reporting Monitoring and Verification of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF), discussed policies and supporting instruments in achieving Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.

Ratnasari explained that the current supporting instruments for meeting the NDCs are explicitly tailored to regional needs.

“From the results of COP26 in Glasgow, what is needed is subnational action. Action at the subnational or the city level is very important because it is the driving force behind climate change issues. Local policy support and funding are therefore vital. We at the national government are always ready to listen to local governments about their specific needs,” said Ratnasari.

She continued that actions must also be mindful of current conditions in order to maximize support towards greenhouse gas reduction.

The workshop also saw Irfan Darliazi Yananto, S.E., MEREC, Functional Planner Directorate of Environment from the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas; and Hendricus Andy Simarmata ST, M.Si, Chairman of the Indonesian Association of Urban and Regional Planners (IAP), sharing their climate resilience strategies and efforts.

Gisela Swaragita from the Jakarta Post commented on the workshop’s value, saying “(It) a very significant workshop to introduce to local journalists the best practices to report climate change. Journalists of all scales can do a lot of things by waving the tip of their pens, including helping create greener policies.”

In line with the workshop’s goals, ICLEI encouraged the attending journalists to create in-depth stories about their learnings. The best stories will have the opportunity to participate in a media visit to the Best Climate Action City Indonesia set to be announced by OPCC in April 2022.

For further information about the rules and standards of the competition, please go to this link.

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