Statement from Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia to the 144th IPU Assembly Meeting

We have entered an unprecedented time of profound disruption, technological advancement, and economic development. However, the shifts and changes as we strive for progress may have come at the cost of our environment, climate, and sustainability of our natural resources. The adverse impacts of climate change in different parts of the world -- both in land and water areas -- has only turn for the worse over the years. Many countries suffer from constantly escalating disasters while habitats are diminishing due to rise in temperature caused by global warming and climate change, consequently endangering the lives of every person in our planet.

The COVID – 19 pandemic has given us the opportunity to reflect on how we could act and adapt through immense disruption at an accelerated rate and find ways to manage crises and reconstruct our way of living. It also gave us a glimpse of how optimal use of digital technology can slow down emission, improve air quality, and restore ecology around the world. Having said that, the pandemic and our new normal are not enough to resolve the bigger and more complex issues caused by climate change.

As Parliaments, we must reaffirm our commitments in reducing emissions to zero by 2050 and limiting our global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century. We must have more dialogues on climate change issues because these are not issues that we can deal with alone. We need more comprehensive multilateral solutions and commitments that would align and complement our targets to reverse the effects of global warming and climate change. We also have the duty to represent our people in discussing these issues, finding innovative solutions, and more importantly, supporting and preparing them for new policies and adapting to a more sustainable life.

On 20-24th of March 2022, The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia will host the 144th General Assembly of the IPU, which will be held in Nusa Dua, Bali. The main theme of this event will be Getting to Zero: Mobilizing Parliaments to Act on Climate Change. In these series of meetings, parliaments around the world will debate, exchange ideas, and deliberate their views on engaging and mobilizing policies and actions surrounding climate change and all of its implications.

We hope that, through this event, parliaments could strengthen their roles in formulating better policies and legislation that support sustainable living, focusing on the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change and global warming. Not only that, we hope to engage the public in this pressing issue and hope that their participation through our social media and other parliamentary channels could enrich our discussions, spark debate, and mainstream our policies to bring about more significant impacts.

We hope to see you soon in Bali!