CTC participated in the series of meetings of two engagement groups of Indonesia’s G20 Presidency 2022 last month, namely the Road to Ocean20 and the Civil 20 (C20). At the C20 forum, CTC urged all G20 leaders and policymakers to prioritize the sustainable blue economy in the post Covid-19 era.

These meetings were part of numerous side events of the G20 summit, which will be held in Bali in November. The Road to Ocean20 meeting took place at Hotel Courtyard in Nusa Dua, Bali, from August 28 to 29, 2022. CTC Marine Conservation Advisor Marthen Welly joined the two-day event organized by the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia together with coral reef alliances, including Indonesia Coral Reef Garden, Coral Research and Development Accelerator platform (CORDAP) and Global Funds for Coral Reefs (GFCR).

The Road to Ocean20 meeting, which was attended by approximately 100 participants from various G20 countries both in-person and online, aimed for harnessing more intersectoral collaborations towards coral reef protection and Blue Natural Capital (BNC) to strengthen the G20 ocean diplomacy.

On the first day, a workshop titled “No Coral Reef Left Behind” brought together scientific experts, practitioners and policymakers to talk about current situations and threats of coral reef ecosystems. Participants also discussed the next steps of delivering actionable policy recommendations on coral conservation for sustainable global oceans. Another workshop on BNC was delivered on the following day, which served as an open forum for all participants to discuss about valuing BNC and its application in conservation strategies, revenue models and business cases for a sustainable ocean economy.

To conclude the meeting, some participants also went on an excursion to Nusa Lembongan island, which is part of the Nusa Penida marine protected area (MPA). During the field trip, they were given the opportunity to view local BNC ecosystems, such as the mangrove forest.  

CTC also joined in another initiative forum in Nusa Dua, namely the 3rd Meeting of the Environment, Climate Justice and Energy Transition Working Group (ECE WG) of the C20 for two days. The meeting was preceded by the C20 Indonesia Session on the Role of G20 Power Utilities in Climate Mitigation Efforts on August 29, with panelists from state-owned energy companies in Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico and Germany discussing how G20 countries can generate energy more efficiently to support the commitment to just energy transition for the net zero carbon emission target by 2050.

On the second day, around 50 members of the ECE WG continued the meeting to finalize the C20 policy pack and recommendations to be aligned with a final communique for G20 leaders. At the meeting, CTC Program Communication Staff Yoga Putra delivered a brief presentation, highlighting the importance of prioritizing investment in a sustainable blue economy after the global Covid-19 pandemic. In the ECE working group, CTC has led the sixth priority issue of marine conservation and biodiversity.

Furthermore, the forum also succeeded in drafting a joint press release to amplify the ECE WG’s advocacy strategy and policy briefs through the media. One of the key C20 recommendations is that the G20 countries must maintain their committed leadership in advancing global climate mitigation actions by ensuring the sustainable energy transition.

To date, CTC has shown its commitment to fully support the G20 Presidency of Indonesia by actively participating in and addressing critical issues in multiple forums and side events. This includes the recovery of global blue economy, a global campaign to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030, unsustainable fishing practices, marine plastic waste and gender equity in marine and fisheries sectors. (*)

Photo: Marthen Welly/CTC & Yoga Putra/CTC