The Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection of the Republic of Indonesia, Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, appreciated the contribution of Universitas Indonesia (UI) in producing leaders who actively support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He conveyed this at the UI SDGs Summit 2024 event held at Balai Purnomo, UI Depok Campus.
According to him, amidst the major challenges currently facing Indonesia, students have a strategic role as a bridge towards achieving the SDGs. For this reason, he emphasized the importance of transformative innovation in creating a superior, just, and inclusive Indonesia. “The points to be achieved in the SDGs are in line with our direction towards Indonesia Emas 2045. For this reason, we must move together, because change starts with us, starting today,” said Arifatul.
UI’s contribution to accelerating the achievement of the SDGs targets is through the holding of the UI SDGs Summit 2024. According to the Director of Student Affairs at UI, Dr. Badrul Munir, S.T., M.Eng.Sc., UI SDGs Summit is an International Student Program of UI which is an important forum for students, experts, and industry leaders to discuss global issues, such as climate change, economic inequality, and the post-pandemic impact of Covid-19.
“In its third year of implementation, the UI SDGs Summit 2024 carries the theme “Bridging the Implementation Gap: Ensuring No One Left Behind in Achieving the SDGs” as an effort to answer the geopolitical and social challenges that widen the gap in SDGs implementation, especially in developing countries. Through this event, we provide space for students to make real contributions to society and the country, while developing their own competencies,” said Dr. Badrul.
The UI SDGs Summit 2024 presents speakers from various backgrounds to share perspectives on sustainability and strengthening the role of youth in achieving the SDGs. They are the Manager of Pertamina One Solution PT Pertamina Patra Niaga, Frilo Fitrasali Hutagalung; Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director of Coca Cola Europacific Partners Indonesia, Lucia Karina; Educational Researcher of the University of Melbourne, Dr. Andrew Deuchor; and In-House Legal Counsel of the Indonesian Fintech Association (AFTECH) and content creator, Ahmad Dekatama.
On that occasion, Frilo conveyed that there is still a gap in achieving the SDG 13 target related to climate change globally. Efforts to reduce emissions by 2030 face a shortfall of 28%. For this reason, Lucia emphasized the importance of shifting the approach from mitigation to sustainable value creation. “We need to create ecological and economic balance through closed bio-based systems, preventive and adaptive design, and multidisciplinary integration. Circular and regenerative economic systems must be the main focus to ensure sustainability that not only protects the environment but also provides long-term benefits to society,” said Lucia at the event held on November 20, 2024.
Meanwhile, Dr. Andrew highlighted the challenges of quality communication and education about climate change. According to him, the current approach tends not to create a culture of responsibility throughout the community. The implementation of climate change education policies is still sporadic and often only focuses on scientific facts without touching on emotional aspects or climate justice. “These efforts are more often limited to classroom teaching rather than a broader approach, and rely on certain individuals to lead initiatives without adequate policy support,” he said.
Therefore, close collaboration is needed between the government, academics, the private sector, and the community to encourage young people to become agents of change who not only address global challenges but also develop concrete solutions in the future. Head of the National Secretariat for SDGs, Ministry of PPN/Bappenas, Pungkas Bahjuri Ali, STP, M.Sc., Ph.D sees the importance of the role of young people in the transformation to achieve the SDGs targets. Young people can contribute to various initiatives, such as electronic waste management, youth geoparks, and youth education as examples of good practices that can be replicated.
