Beyond pledges: Indonesia prepares its climate action plan for COP31

Jakarta (ANTARA) - As world leaders prepare to gather in Antalya, Türkiye, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) from November 9 to 20, global discussions on climate change are entering a new phase.

The time for simply making promises is passing. The international community now demands direct implementation.

The Turkish Presidency of COP31 has officially designated the event as the "Implementation COP." Its primary goal is to shift global focus from setting targets to tracking real progress on the ground.

The agenda covers several urgent areas, including energy transition, resilient cities, circular economies, sustainable food systems, green industrial transformation, climate finance, and the protection of vulnerable ecosystems.

For Indonesia, this shift in focus brings both a valuable opportunity and a critical moment for self-evaluation.

In October 2025, Indonesia submitted its Second Nationally Determined Contribution (Second NDC), establishing a clear roadmap for its climate commitments through 2035.

Because of this, Antalya must not serve merely as a venue to repeat past targets. It must become a practical platform to show how far those commitments have been turned into concrete policies, secure financing, real projects, and measurable results.

A key indicator of Indonesia's progress lies in its emissions reduction numbers. Data from the National Registry System for Climate Change Control (SRN PPI) shows that, based on 2024 figures, total emissions across all sectors stood at 1,495.58 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

At the same time, the reduction against the baseline reached 775.97 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, representing a 34.16 percent contribution relative to the baseline for that period.

While these figures give Indonesia a solid foundation to demonstrate progress, they also highlight the need for consistent, long-term measurement. Reliable reporting ensures that national achievements can be clearly measured against NDC targets over time.

To prepare for the Antalya summit, Indonesia has focused heavily on strengthening its climate data governance.

Since July 2026, the government has operated a new generation of the SRN PPI as a unified national climate data platform. This system integrates mitigation actions, emissions inventories, and reduction achievements into a single national registry.

In addition, the Environment Ministry launched SIGN SMART Robust to improve national emissions accounting. This step is essential as the credibility of any climate policy depends on a country's ability to present consistent, transparent, and verifiable data to the world.

Beyond data tracking, the energy sector represents one of Indonesia's biggest challenges and opportunities. The country holds immense potential in new and renewable energy, electric vehicles, power grid upgrades, and energy efficiency programs.

A clear example of this ambition is state utility PLN’s Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) for 2025–2034. The plan targets an additional 69.5 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity, with roughly 76 percent coming from renewable energy sources integrated with advanced energy storage systems.

However, moving away from fossil fuels remains a complex process. Indonesia continues to face growing energy demand alongside a historical reliance on fossil fuels.

Consequently, the main challenge is not just the total capacity of clean power plants constructed, but how quickly the energy grid can transform without hurting national energy security or creating economic instability.

Evaluating the energy transition also requires looking beyond power generation numbers. Cutting coal consumption directly affects the daily lives of workers, coal-producing regions, supporting industries, and regional government revenues.

A just transition

This reality calls for a just transition. Policies must ensure that communities affected by shifts in the energy sector gain access to retraining, new skills, and alternative jobs.

Through this approach, the energy transition becomes a broad economic transformation that protects vulnerable groups while reducing emissions.

In addition to energy, the forestry sector remains one of Indonesia's greatest climate assets. Forest protection, peatland restoration, mangrove rehabilitation, and strict fire control play a decisive role in hitting emission reduction targets.

Yet, this sector faces ongoing challenges in monitoring deforestation, land degradation, fires, and changing land use.

Unchecked land changes can easily erase gains made in other sectors. Because of this, integrated carbon tracking and registration systems are vital to back up every emission reduction claim with solid evidence.

Integrated tracking is particularly important as carbon markets unlock new green financing options. In July 2026, Indonesia launched the Carbon Unit Registry System (SRUK) to govern carbon trading under a clear national framework.

Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat has stated on various occasions that carbon trading offers a strong instrument to finance national climate action and green investments.

However, the main challenge is protecting environmental integrity and preventing the double counting of carbon credits.

At the same time, policies must guarantee that economic benefits are shared fairly with local communities and regional governments that safeguard forest ecosystems on the ground.

Funding these wide-ranging efforts remains a major task. The government estimates that Indonesia needs up to US$472.6 billion in total investment to achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2060, or sooner, in addition to funds needed for technology transfer and local capacity building.

This massive figure shows that the State Budget alone cannot cover the costs. Indonesia requires a combination of private investment, international financing, grants, concessional loans, carbon markets, and blended finance models.

Therefore, Indonesia's main opportunity at COP31 goes beyond asking for more funding. It is about proving that national climate projects are backed by strong data, clear regulations, good governance, and verified results.

To build strong international trust in Antalya, Indonesia needs to present four key pieces of evidence: reliable data on past emission reductions, clear funding sources, proof of active project execution, and direct benefits for local communities.

At the same time, climate adaptation requires equal priority. As an archipelagic nation, Indonesia faces risks from floods, droughts, extreme weather, and rising sea levels—all of which threaten food security and coastal livelihoods.

For this reason, the success of climate policy must be measured not only by the volume of emissions reduced, but also by how resilient communities become in the face of climate impacts.

Negotiations leading up to COP31 are actively focused on setting clear indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation, making this topic central to international discussions.

As a developing nation, Indonesia has a clear interest in balancing its responsibility to reduce emissions with its ongoing development needs.

Access to finance, technology transfer, capacity building, and support for vulnerable populations are essential to maintaining this balance. Indonesia’s climate diplomacy can show how national growth and global climate action can work together effectively.

Ultimately, COP31 in Antalya offers Indonesia an ideal platform to review and demonstrate the direction of its national climate policy.

The standard for measuring success is simple: showing a direct, clear connection between pledges, laws, budgets, physical projects, and real outcomes.

Indonesia needs to showcase what it has accomplished, identify remaining gaps, explain the reasons for those gaps, and outline clear steps to resolve them.

Supported by its Second NDC, modern data systems, energy plans, protected forests, and a regulated carbon market, Indonesia is well prepared to play a leading role in Antalya.

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