Climate Change. Dok : Jaktimes.
JAKARTA, JAKTIMES.COM – The Indonesia Climate Justice Summit (ICJS) 2025 officially opened in Jakarta on Tuesday (Aug 26). The forum, initiated by the People’s Alliance for Climate Justice (ARUKI), serves as a political space for the people to voice their concerns and demands in the face of the escalating climate crisis.
The first day of ICJS began with a People’s Plenary, featuring nine vulnerable groups: Indigenous peoples, farmers, fishermen, women, workers, urban poor, youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Each shared their real-life experiences while urging the state not to remain negligent.
“Traditional fishermen are not the cause of the climate crisis. We are not enemies of the sea, we protect it. What we demand is justice, not pity,” stressed a fisherman from Lamongan.
A similar call came from youth representatives in Bengkulu. “We were born into a damaged earth. We are forced to inherit the climate crisis. It is time for young people to be placed at the forefront of the struggle,” one of them said.
From East Nusa Tenggara, an Indigenous woman voiced the pain caused by a geothermal project that entered without community consent. “Our voices were ignored. When we resisted, we were labeled anti-development, some even criminalized. We are not asking for pity, we just want respect.”
The elderly and persons with disabilities also expressed their concerns, saying they feel increasingly marginalized due to the impacts of climate change and the lack of state protection.
ARUKI emphasized that the climate crisis is a crisis of justice and humanity. The state is urged to take concrete action—not just rhetoric—to protect vulnerable groups on the frontlines of the crisis.
“ICJS is here to unify the people’s voices, strengthen solidarity, and demand that the state fulfill its responsibility,” ARUKI stated.
The alliance itself is a political bloc of the people involving more than 36 civil society organizations. It was founded in 2023 out of shared concern over the threat of the climate crisis in Indonesia.