July 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of Climate Reality Indonesia (CRI), an independent, nonprofit branch of the Climate Reality Project, founded by global climate advocate and former United States vice president Al Gore. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has trained more than 20,000 climate reality leaders (CRLs) from 154 countries since 2006.

By last month, Gore had trained 315 Indonesian CRLs, which comprise officials, lawmakers, business people, academics, activists, religious leaders, students, homemakers and journalists. They are responsible for spreading the narrative and solutions of the climate crisis across their networks and to the public.

Indonesia’s first CRL was Amanda Katili-Niode. Amanda, who has a natural resources and environment doctorate from the University of Michigan, played a role in the United Nations annual climate change conference in December 2007 in Bali, and was special advisor to then-environment minister Rachmat Witoelar.

In April 2008, she trained with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Leadership Corps in Montreal. In July 2009, she organized climate reality training for 55 Indonesians in Melbourne, where she launched Climate Reality Indonesia.

Indonesia is one of at least 10 countries that have a climate reality project at the national
level, and one of only four Asian nations that have a regional office, alongside China, India and the Philippines.

In the beginning, CRI focused on climate presentations for households and communities, as well as schools and universities. It expanded by launching the annual Climate Change Forum and Expo in 2011. That same year, CRI started involving young people with its Youth for Climate Camp program.

“[The camp’s] main aim is mainstreaming the climate crisis and its solutions to the young generation, who hopefully will become agents of change,” said Amanda, who leads the expert team of Rachmat Witoelar, the president’s special envoy on climate change. 

Under the initiative of Catholic pastor Andang Binawan, interfaith youth in the 17-25 age group gathered from around the country for the camp. They learned what they could do to protect the Earth, and were tasked with establishing local groups and pursuing on-the-ground action upon returning home.

The climate camp now has 2,500 alumni, one of whom has a promising road ahead. Saraswati Siahaan from North Sumatra, who studied biology at the State University of Medan, attended the Youth Leadership Camp for Climate Change in February 2017 at North Sumatra’s Mount Leuser National Park.

Named the best-performing participant in activities both during the camp and afterward, Saraswati won a ticket to attend the July 2017 Tribal Climate Camp program in Seattle, in the US state of Washington. After she graduated with impressive scores, she won an Australia Awards scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in climate change at the Australian National University’s Crawford School of Public Policy in Canberra.

Now in her second semester, Saraswati has earned high distinction in her studies.

“I want to be a climate change educator. With my teaching background, I’m sure I can contribute through education to the fight against climate change,” Saraswati said via online communication.

To mark CRI’s 10th anniversary, the organization’s founder and driver for climate enterprise has called on CRI alumni to join the 100 climate-related activities it is running in July. These include producing video clips, writing articles, composing poetry, tutoring, holding seminars, campaigning on social media, going on expeditions and taking part in youth camps.

The anniversary events culminate with the Climate Reality Fair on Aug. 2 to 4 at Javara Culture in Kemang, South Jakarta. The fair will feature discussions, movie screenings, booths on innovations and initiatives and forest-themed dinners, to name a few activities.

Those who undergo CRL training are required to sign a commitment to undertake at least 10 “acts of leadership” within one year after the training. These acts can range from presenting Gore’s instructive climate slides and holding workshops to writing blog posts and publishing opinion pieces in the mass media on climate issues and solutions.

So what is CRL’s agenda for the next 10 years? CRI and youth camp alumni could devote their energy to helping Indonesia achieve its 2030 climate action target: reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuels and land conversions by 29 percent, or 41 percent with international cooperation, in 2020-2030. The end goal is net zero greenhouse gas emissions around the globe by 2050.

For Indonesia, reaching the target is a daunting task. According to the 2018-2027 Electricity Supply Business Plan, it plans to reduce the use of coal in its energy mix from 58.3 percent in 2017 to 54.4 percent by 2025. Energy-use reduction by 4 percent of this high carbon fossil fuel may not meet the 29/41 target in 2030.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has stated that he wants young people in his 2019-2024 Cabinet for his second and final five-year term. Jokowi is banking on ministries composed of millennials to move the nation forward under his “Making Indonesia 4.0” initiative to create a digital economy driven by a technology-literate workforce. Up and coming CRI millennials like Saraswati should also get a chance at bat to deliver climate solutions.

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The writer participated in Al Gore’s climate leadership training in Jakarta, January 2011.

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