KLH drafts Climate Change Act for inclusive development

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLH) is drafting the Climate Change Act to realise inclusive and sustainable development by prioritising the rights of vulnerable groups, such as women and children. ‘In the Climate Change Act there will be a clause on climate justice because Indonesia, as an archipelagic nation, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,’ said Franky Zamzani, Director of Climate Change Adaptation under the Deputy for Climate Change Control and Carbon Economy Governance of KLH, in Jakarta on Tuesday. He emphasised that to tackle climate change, the government must continue to collaborate with all parties to implement adaptation in policy, not merely mitigation. ‘So far we have not had a truly inclusive climate change legal umbrella; therefore, the government continues to strive to craft policies that are inclined towards vulnerable groups,’ he said. Meanwhile, Achmad Santosa, Chief Executive Officer of the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative, noted that a development paradigm pursuing economic growth without regard to social justice can weaken democracy, governance, and the supremacy of the law. Therefore, the drafting of the Climate Change Act should also serve as a lever for drafting other laws such as the Disaster Management Act, enriched with provisions from the Child Protection Act. ‘Shifting the paradigm of economic development is the key to addressing the climate crisis’ impacts on migration, vulnerable workers, women, and children,’ Santosa said. He also noted that meaningful public participation in environmental decision-making continues to be reinforced in Indonesia. ‘This step is reinforced by champions from government, the DPR, the DPD, local governments, and ministries who continue to support the environmental protection agenda to realise the Climate Change Act,’ he said.