Jakarta — Civil society group MADANI Berkelanjutan warned that postponing the country’s Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC) and weakening its FOLU Net Sink 2030 target could undermine Indonesia’s global standing. The group said on Wednesday, June 18, that Indonesia is facing growing pressure to demonstrate credible climate leadership, following concerns over delays in submitting its updated climate plan and possible backtracking on key forest protection targets.
“Indonesia holds a strategic responsibility to be part of the solution,” said Nadia Hadad, Executive Director of MADANI Berkelanjutan. “As the world’s third-largest tropical forest nation, lowering our climate ambition would send the wrong message just when the world needs leadership.”
The SNDC is a mandatory update of Indonesia’s climate pledge under the Paris Agreement, which all countries must submit in 2025. However, recent statements from Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni suggest a more cautious approach, emphasising that the SNDC must be “realistic, inclusive, and executable.” He warned that overly ambitious targets could harm Indonesia’s diplomatic credibility if they are not met.
Nadia countered that argument, stressing that “the world values bold commitments backed by real action far more than safe targets that result in collective failure.” She warned that revising the FOLU (Forestry and Other Land Use) Net Sink 2030 target downward would represent a major step back.
Initially launched in 2022, the FOLU Net Sink 2030 commitment was a flagship policy aimed at ensuring Indonesia’s forest sector would absorb more carbon than it emits by the end of the decade. Weakening this goal, according to Nadia, would jeopardise both Indonesia’s biodiversity and its credibility in global climate negotiations.
The government’s justification—balancing the FOLU target with food security and bioenergy development—was met with scepticism by civil society. “Maintaining forest ecosystems is crucial for both mitigation and biodiversity protection,” Nadia said.
MADANI reiterated that the SNDC must reflect a sustainable and just development path. “Delays will only increase the risks—economic, social, and ecological,” the statement said.
In August 2024, 64 civil society organisations submitted a joint recommendation to the government, calling for the SNDC to be science-based, socially just, and inclusive of vulnerable groups. Nadia stressed that public participation is key to legitimacy: “Without meaningful engagement, the SNDC risks becoming nothing more than a polished but ineffective document.”
MADANI is calling on the government to submit an ambitious and just SNDC urgently, reaffirm its FOLU Net Sink commitment, and ensure that climate adaptation efforts prioritise those most affected.
“High ambition is not at odds with reality,” said Nadia. “It is the only viable path to securing a livable future for all Indonesians.” (nsh)
Banner photo: Khun Ta/shutterstock.com
