Jakarta, 1 June 2021 – Today the British Council Indonesia hosted a Youth Climate Leaders Roundtable between COP President-Designate Alok Sharma and Indonesian climate youth leaders. A 90 minute discussion with youth leaders from parliament, indigenous groups, creative and social business, research, education, policy and advocacy. The Indonesian climate youth leaders gave evidence and powerful requests for COP26 to COP President Designate Alok Sharma.

The youth climate leaders roundtable is part of Ministers Alok Sharma visit to Indonesia as he continues to drive progress towards priorities to tackle climate crisis in the run up to COP 26 in November 2021 in Glasgow, UK.

The UK will host the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, from 1 to 12 November. The British Council is supporting the UK government’s ambition for COP26 to be the most inclusive ever by engaging it’s global network to inspire millions of people around the world to take action to tackle climate change.

The roundtable was attended by the British Ambassador to Indonesia HMA Owen Jenkins, British Council Indonesia Country Director Hugh Moffatt and 9 Indonesian youth climate leaders, who together represented a diverse range of backgrounds, from those working on corporate sector, government institutions to those leading grassroots organisations.

Young people are on the frontline of global climate action and their roles are absolutely vital. In the dialogue, Minister Alok Sharma applauded the youth leaders on their climate action efforts. He encouraged the Indonesian youth leaders to support the government and businesses to do more to tackle climate change, and for young people to continue speaking up and make their voices clear and heard, inspiring action from all of society.

COP President-Designate Alok Sharma emphasised the UKs ambition to ensure that the COP26 is the most inclusive ever. The Minister has been traveling and meeting with young people from diverse backgrounds around the world engaging in meaningful dialogue. The roundtable today follows similar meetings COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma has held with climate youth activists in Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Egypt, and Nepal.

The UK has formed a Youth and Civil Society Advisory Council, co-chaired by youth representatives from the global south and global north and includes representatives from indigenous peoples, woman, and youth, The Youth and Civil Society Advisory Council meets regularly to help shape the path to COP26.

A British Council survey of almost 40,000 young people aged 18-34 across 36 countries, including the G20 countries, found that climate change is perceived by them to be the most important issue facing the world today. The roundtable with the COP President-Designate Alok Sharma offered a unique opportunity for the Indonesian youth representatives to share their views and propose their ideas to accelerate progress in tackling climate emergencies.

Key discussion points shared by the youth representatives included climate policy, mobilising climate financing, sustainable development, climate change education, supporting indigenous communities – that are often most effected by the impacts of climate change, grassroots activism, climate science and innovation.

Andhyta F. Utami, Environmental economist, from the World Bank and Think Policy Society, highlighted what Think Policy Society does to tackle climate change, she said, “Improving climate policy requires a change of mindset, such as in how we see the economy-environment trade off, and that the ownership of the issue should not be with the ‘green sectors’ only but everyone’s”.

The youth roundtable meeting is part of ‘The Climate Connection’, a new British Council global programme and campaign to address the climate change in the lead up to the COP26 summit in November.

Youth climate leaders roundtable attendees:

Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP, COP President-Designate
HMA Owen Jenkins, British Ambassador to Indonesia & Timor Leste
Hugh Moffatt, Country Director, British Council Indonesia
Colm Downes, Director English, Education and Society, British Council Indonesia
Lia Zakiyyah, Climate Reality Leader at the Climate Reality Project Indonesia (Moderator)

1. Yesi Christy, Climate forecaster at the Agency of Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG).
2. Dave Djabumir, Environmental Youth Ambassador of the Ministry of Youth and Sport.
3. Jakob Siringoringo, Leader of the indigenous youth alliance, AMAN Muda.
4. Dyah Roro Esti, Member of parliament and secretary of the green economy caucus.
5. Tiza Mafira, Associate Director of Climate Policy Initiative Indonesia.
6. Andhyta F. Utami, Environmental economist, World Bank Jakarta, Think Policy Society.
7. Gita Syahrani, Executive Director to the Secretariat of Sustainable District Association.
8. Irvan Helmi, Chairman of Sustainable Coffee Platform of Indonesia (SCOPI).
9. Melati Wijsen, Co-founder ‘Bye Bye Plastic Bags’ and YOUTHTOPIA