Cities Lead the Charge: CRIF 2025 Opens with a Bold Call for Urban Climate Action

Jakarta, 21 May 2025 – The Climate Resilience and Innovation Forum (CRIF) 2025 commenced today in Jakarta, bringing together over 300 participants, primarily from cities and local governments across Indonesia, with the presence of Asia-Pacific and European partners, to advance urban climate resilience. Organised by the United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), in collaboration with the Jakarta Special Capital Region and supported by the European Union (EU), the Forum themed “Empowering Cities and Local Governments for a Climate-Resilient Future”, underscores the critical role of local leadership. The forum also marked the completion of the EU funded project: Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cities (CRIC). 

Dr Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, UCLG ASPAC Secretary General, reaffirmed the critical role of local governments in addressing the climate crisis. “It takes the whole city government to mainstream climate actions. However, creating sustainable climate actions needs even bigger efforts by building local, regional and global partnerships of sustainable cities that provide a range of support from technology to finance,” she said.

“Addressing the threat of climate change remains a top priority for the EU. Climate change affects each city differently, depending on vulnerability, preparedness and mitigation capabilities. Through the Climate Resilient and Inclusive Cities (CRIC) project, Indonesia and the EU are working together to bring more inclusiveness in their respective cities, so that they get stronger in the face of climate change”, said H.E. Mr. Denis Chaibi, EU Ambassador to Indonesia.

High-level remarks were also delivered by H.E. Mr Tito Karnavian, Minister of Home Affairs of Indonesia and keynote speeches from Ms Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur. 

A major milestone was the symbolic handover of ten Climate Action Plans (CAPs) to Bandar Lampung, Cirebon, Samarinda, Pekanbaru, Banjarmasin, Pangkalpinang, Gorontalo, Kupang, Mataram and Ternate who were part of the EU funded Climate Resilience and Inclusive Cities (CRIC) programme. These plans will serve as blueprints to help cities integrate inclusive climate strategies into their mid-term development plans. UCLG ASPAC has also launched a CAP guideline, based on their experience and lesson learned in assisting over 20 local governments across the Asia Pacific region in preparing their CAP. 

Another highlight was the awarding of Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) compliant badges to Southeast Asian cities for demonstrating tangible climate action progress, and the signing of decentralised cooperation agreements between several cities and institutions, including Samarinda-Hefei, UCLG ASPAC and Kuala Lumpur, UCLG ASPAC and National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG), as well as UCLG ASPAC and Urbanice.  

The opening concluded with the introduction of UCLG ASPAC’s forthcoming City and Local Government (CLG) Institute, which will champion evidence-based policymaking, research, and knowledge management. 

Over the following two days, CRIF 2025 will host high-level panels, interactive thematic sessions, and site visits to Jakarta’s Tebet Eco-Park and Banyumas’ solid waste management transformation facilities, offering scalable, community-based models of resilience.

As a flagship convening-not held annually but at pivotal moments for the region-CRIF 2025 sets the stage for actionable collaboration, renewed commitments, and alignment with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, strategically positioned cities and local governments in crafting a sustainable, inclusive climate future.