The Paris Agreement or the Paris Climate Agreement is an international agreement legally binding on 196 countries to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions and assist developing countries in combating the worst impacts of the current climate crisis.

The agreement which is covered by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was initiated for the first time almost six years ago at COP21 in Paris on 12 December 2015. On 31 October 2016, Indonesia ratified the Paris Agreement for international commitments to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 1.5°C from pre-industrial levels. The agreement also sets out goals to increase adaptive capacity and resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate hazards, while contributing to sustainable development. The Paris Agreement is a defining achievement in efforts to limit climate change and prevent its potentially catastrophic effects.

Prior to the Paris Agreement, the Kyoto Protocol in 2005 had quite the same foundation, namely to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. However, the obligation to reduce GHGs only applies to developed countries and ignores the fact that developing countries can also be the main contributors to global GHGs.

The climate crisis in Jakarta
DKI Jakarta and the surrounding area is the heart of Indonesia's economy and is the fourth largest megacity in the world. It is estimated that the population of DKI Jakarta will grow to 12 million by 2050. With this growth, DKI Jakarta has various challenges that must be overcome. These include housing shortages, availability of clean and reliable water, flooding, traffic congestion and poor air quality.

If no action to prevent climate change is taken quickly, the impact of climate change on Jakarta's environment and its inhabitants will eventually become disastrous. A vulnerability study under RAD-API 2021 shows that 17 sub-districts have been identified as particularly vulnerable to climate hazards, with children and the elderly, particularly at risk.

It is very important for DKI Jakarta to take action to reduce its emissions as a contribution to limiting the temperature rise below 1.5°C. In 2016, DKI Jakarta recorded greenhouse gas emissions of 53.6 MtCO2e of which 57% was related to grid electricity consumption and 22% to fuel consumption for non-grid electricity. The analysis has shown that under a business as usual scenario, emissions will grow by 400% in 2050 compared to the base year 2010.

Localized Actions
In line with national commitments, DKI Jakarta has developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP), issued Governor Regulation No. 90/2021 on the Climate Resistant Low Carbon Development Plan (RPRKD), and the Jakarta Initiative as strategic documents and guidelines for achieving climate targets in line with the Paris Agreement (limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C). The actions included in the two documents will be implemented in the Jakarta area from now until 2050.

DKI Jakarta also already has climate initiatives that are already available in all areas of Jakarta such as sustainable transportation and mobility facilities, innovations for waste management, the use of renewable energy for the city scope and expansion of green open spaces and climate adaptation programs. To learn more about climate action in Jakarta, visit the Action link on the website.