From the rostrum of the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York on Tuesday local time, Prabowo stated that Indonesia, as the largest island country, is "already experiencing the direct consequences of climate change, particularly the threat of rising sea levels."
Hence, Indonesia "chooses to confront climate change not by slogans, but by immediate steps" by meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement obligations.
"We aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, and we are confident we can achieve net-zero emissions much earlier," he added.
Prabowo stated that Indonesia aims to reforest over 12 million hectares of degraded land, to reduce forest degradation, and to empower local communities with quality green jobs for the future.
"Indonesia is shifting decisively from fossil fuel-based development towards renewable-based development. From next year, most of our additional power generation capacity will come from renewables," the president said.
He also said that Indonesia's commitment to clean energy and net-zero emissions is in line with his endeavor to "lift all of our citizens out of poverty and make Indonesia a hub for solutions to food, energy, and water security."
Prabowo's commitment was shared by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who became the first leader to present his speech before the General Assembly.
In his remarks, Lula highlighted ecological justice and reiterated Brazil's commitment to continue its clean energy transition. Indonesia and Brazil are among the countries with the largest forest areas.
However, their vision was not shared by US President Donald Trump, who lambasted the green energy transition as a "scam" and renewable energy as a "joke." Trump also praised fossil-based fuel coal, which he called "beautiful, clean coal."
President Prabowo Subianto became the first Indonesian leader to speak before the UN General Assembly in 10 years, following his predecessor, Joko Widodo, who opted not to attend the UN agenda for the entirety of his presidency.
He was the third to deliver his speech at the UN General Assembly, following the leaders of Brazil and the United States, who customarily speak first and second.
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Translator: Genta Tenri/Fathur R, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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