Jakarta, 23 August 2025 – In the spirit of advancing inclusive climate justice for future generations, Climate Rangers Jakarta, together with 32 representatives of young people and children from various provinces across Indonesia, held the Indonesia Climate Mandate: A National Youth Demand Forum as part of the main conference of the Local Conference of Youth and Children (LCOY) Indonesia 2025
“This forum is a strategic space for young people from all corners of the country to voice climate demands based on local experiences, while also formulating a collective stance of youth toward national and global climate action,” explained Ginanjar, Coordinator of Climate Rangers Indonesia. “The voices of young people are consolidated into a single national mandate that will be brought to international forums such as COY and COP.”
“Not everyone has the choice to adapt to the climate crisis; I, an Indigenous woman from Papua, rely on the land to live. For us, there are only two options: fight or die,” said Gispa, a West Papua delegate of LCOY Indonesia 2025.
Delegates of LCOY Indonesia 2025 brought real stories from the ground: Indigenous youth who are vulnerable due to the lack of recognition of Indigenous peoples; coastal youth developing early warning systems for tidal flooding; young farming communities initiating climate-adaptive agriculture; and groups of young women integrating climate education into community activities. These stories show that climate change is not a future problem—it is today’s reality.
Toward COP30: “The Demands We Bring”
Representatives of CR Jakarta delivered the demands of Indonesian youth to policymakers, negotiators, and world leaders regarding Climate, Energy, and Finance. This draft declaration will become an official document brought by the LCOY Indonesia delegation to the international stag
“We did not come only to be heard, but to ensure change happens. There is no climate justice without social justice. Through this forum, we want to show that young people are not only concerned, but ready to lead and contribute to climate policy,” said Pinkan Astina, Program Officer of LCOY Indonesia 2025.
Franky Zamzani, S.Hut., M.Env, representing the Ministry of Environment, responded to the National Children and Youth Statement containing demands from 32 provinces; “The government affirms that land-use permits, including in peatland areas, remain restricted under the principle of balancing economic, social, and environmental needs, even though implementation is not easy. Indonesia, as one of the largest emitters, also has significant potential for carbon sequestration and is expected by the world to contribute to achieving the Paris Agreement and Net Zero Emission targets. The involvement of young people, including in the COP30 forum, is an important part of ensuring climate commitments are carried out in a fair and sustainable way.”
This forum not only featured panel discussions but also showcased community action exhibits highlighting climate struggles from across the country, as well as the drafting of the *National Youth Statement*, a collective position document of Indonesian youth that will be advanced to global forums. LCOY reaffirms that young people are not only victims of the climate crisis but also empowered and visionary agents of change. Through this forum, their voices are consolidated into a unified mandate urging the state and policymakers not to delay a just and sustainable transition any longer.
