June 13, 2025

Indonesia’s Co-Chair Legacy: Growing the Coalition, Driving Climate Ambition, and Championing a Just Transition 

 

indonesia

Over the past four years serving as Co-Chair of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, Indonesia has been both grateful and proud to carry out this role successfully. It has not only been a privilege, but also a profound responsibility, to inspire and encourage finance ministers around the world to raise their climate ambition and strengthen the global climate finance landscape. 

Four years is not a short time, yet it is also not long enough to deliver transformative change. Indonesia has made every effort to dedicate its ideas and time to the Coalition members. Indonesia has worked tirelessly alongside Finland (2021–2023) and the Netherlands (2023–2025) to amplify the Coalition’s voice to the farthest corners of the world, emphasizing the critical role of finance ministers in the global climate agenda. 

After the handover of the Co-Chair role from Chile to Indonesia, the Coalition's main goal was simple: to expand membership and deepen engagement with existing members. We have been delighted to witness the Coalition’s significant growth, from 65 members in 2021 to 98 members in 2025, especially the increasing participation from the Global South. The number of our institutional partners has also increased to 30, which shows growing collaboration between Ministries of Finance worldwide with the MDBs, multilateral agencies, think tanks, and like-minded communities. This growing membership reflects the world’s rising trust in the Coalition and strengthens the Coalition’s ability to draw on diverse expertise. It reflects Indonesia's highly trusted role in leading international forums such as the Coalition. It is a remarkable achievement because, in addressing climate change, collective effort is essential. The more members we have, the stronger our collective power becomes in achieving our shared goals. 

As Co-Chair, Indonesia does not wish to dwell too much on the increasing number of members alone. Indonesia also strives to enhance engagement among members and improve the quality of the Coalition’s delivery to its members. Together with the Netherlands, Indonesia championed the Climate Action Statement (CAS) in 2023, which serves as the Coalition’s official statement to the world regarding its climate action commitment. 

This is not merely a document but a statement that reflects real commitments and manifests the climate actions that have been, are being, and will be implemented by the members. The CAS serves as an enabler for collaboration among members and with institutional partners. Through the CAS, the Coalition continues to make progress toward becoming a highly visible forum and a strong convening platform in the field of climate finance. 

During its term as Co-Chair, Indonesia has consistently championed the need for a just and affordable green transition. As the issue of climate change continues to evolve, the Coalition has expanded its scope by establishing three new workstreams: Green and Just Transition, Adaptation, and Nature, to better address the growing complexity and diversity of climate-related issues. This reflects the growing attention, needs, and areas of work among members—developments that are highly beneficial to the members themselves. To improve the Coalition’s governance, we have also launched the first co-chair strategy, which outlines the short-term and longer-term vision and mission of the Coalition to strategically position ourselves in the global community, alongside a plan for achieving these goals. 

Indonesia has not only worked to strengthen the Coalition's internal dynamics but has also actively strived to enhance the Coalition’s visibility and contribution in other global forums, such as the G20. Together with the Netherlands, Indonesia has proactively represented the Coalition at G20 meetings. Indonesia continuously promotes the spirit that the Coalition should be present and contribute meaningfully to global discussions. 

Proudly, one of the outputs from Helsinki Principle 4 on macroeconomic modeling has been utilized as a reference paper for the G20 Framework Working Group (FWG). This marks a significant achievement for HP4, co-led by Denmark and the United States. It is hoped that this success will inspire other workstreams to contribute actively to global platforms in support of strengthening the global climate, fiscal, and financial policies. 

At the end of its co-chairmanship, Indonesia hosted the 2025 Annual Deputies and Partners Meeting in February, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This meeting brought together members and partners of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action to foster global collaboration, set strategic priorities, and provide capacity-building on key thematic areas. 

The event celebrated Indonesia’s transformative joint leadership, which significantly expanded the Coalition’s size and influence. Under Indonesia’s guidance, the Coalition experienced remarkable growth and is now preparing for a smooth leadership transition to Uganda, ensuring continued support and collaboration among member countries. 

 

Original text published on LinkedIn