The Fiscal Policy Agency (FPA) as the National Designated Authority (NDA) for the GCF supported by Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), is working together with the Government of North Sumatra and Conservation International in holding a workshop on the potential of the Green Climate Fund in North Sumatra on Monday (11/01) and Tuesday (12/01). The event was held simultaneously through offline in Santika Premier Dyandra Hotel, Medan attended by the representatives of North Sumatera stakeholders, and online for other participants.

The event, which was opened by the Provincial Secretary, Dr. Ir. Hj. R. Sabrina, M.Si is aimed to encourage the participation of local stakeholders in accessing the finance for climate change projects and programs, especially through the Call for Project Concept Note (PCN) which is held by the NDA GCF Indonesia. This event started with a presentation by North Sumatra Government with on the commitment and progress of climate action in North Sumatra and what the priority sectors are. On the second day, several representatives from other Provincial Government and local organization conveyed their experience in following the call for PCN in the previous period in 2019. Call For Project Concept Note (PCN) yang saat ini sedang dilaksanakan oleh NDA GCF Indonesia. Acara ini diawali dengan penyampaian dari Bappeda Provinsi Sumatera Utara tentang komitmen dan kemajuan program aksi perubahan iklim daerah Sumatera Utara serta sektor prioritasnya. Pada hari kedua, beberapa perwakilan dari Pemerintah Provinsi lainnya dan organisasi lokal menyampaikan pemaparan tentang pengalaman mereka dalam mengikuti Call for PCN pada periode sebelumnya di tahun 2019.

North Sumatera’s Climate Change Action

Representative of the FPA, the Ministry of Finance on the first day of workshop presented the general climate finance in Indonesia, followed by the information of financing potential from the GCF and the role of FPA as an NDA in accessing the GCF. The head of North Sumatra government also conveyed information on the climate change action and program in North Sumatra. North Sumatra has committed to mitigate climate change, namely through Regional Action Plan on Greenhouse Gases Emission (2010 – 2020) and North Sumatra Governor Instruction No. 188/54/05/INST/2012 on Extreme Climate Adaptation. Extending the existing commitment, the North Sumatra Government is also developing a Low Carbon Development document in the regional level, which will be integrated in the North Sumatra development document.

North Sumatra province also has an emission reduction target which is stipulated in the Government Regulation No. 36/2012. However, up to this day most of the climate change actions are still centered around the forestry sector, so the Government is hoping that the project proponents can help reduce the emission in North Sumatra area in other priority sectors. Some of the mitigation and adaptation actions that are considered as a priority are: (1) Forestry and Land Use or Forest Conservation; (2) Economic Resilience Through Food Resilience; (3) The Provision of Sanitation and Clean Water; and (4) Waste Management And Urban Waste. the four priority sectors can be the example of targets for people who wanted to contribute to the North Sumatra’s climate action.

The Development of Green Climate Fund Proposal by Local Governments

On the second day, some of the previous Call for PCN participants shared their experiences in following the process, including the project’s details and what are the lessons learned in developing concept ideas. The representative from East Java Government presented a scaled-up adaptation program in 20 regencies/cities. This project is an expansion from a pilot project in then 7 regencies/cities. Through this adaptation program, partnered with USAID APIK, The East Java Government succeeded in increasing adaptation capacity of 841 people and is planning to expand the scope through the GCF.

Some of the projects proposed in the previous Call for PCN are also in the process of consolidation, for example some conservation projects and mangrove management in Indonesia. In this workshop, the representatives of Maluku Provincial Government and Yayasan Gajah Sumatera (Yagasu) with each respective concept idea, is currently under negotiation in merging it to a proposal to increase coastal resilience in Indonesia, which International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) acts as the Accredited Entity (AE). It was stated that instead of eliminating initial ideas from either of the proponents, this merging process is enriching the proposal that is going to be submitted to the GCF and formed a comprehensive project representing Indonesia’s needs. Both proponents also emphasized the importance of collaboration between partners and stakeholders in the project idea’s development.

At the end of the session, the participants showed high enthusiasm to participate in the Call for PCN. The future proponents then delivered their aspirations in further consulting with North Sumatra Government and collaborate with other similar proponents. It is hoped that the North Sumatera Government can participate in the Call for Project Concept Note and propose a high-quality project that holds a great impact for Indonesia’s climate action.

More than 60 participants attended and actively participate in this workshop, through online and offline. The participants came from the representatives of North Sumatera Government and local government agencies, state-owned company, NGOs, and other private sectors and development partners.