On December 4- 5, the Center for Global Sustainability (CGS) will partner with the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) to host a conference that will explore how regional cooperation can drive economic growth, climate action, energy transition, and sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific region. The conference sessions will focus on Indonesia and how best to support that country’s attempts to meet its climate targets under the Paris Agreement.
The conference, titled “Regional Cooperation for a Greener Future: Action in Asia and the Pacific with Indonesia,” will focus on the following objectives:
- Promote regional cooperation: To strengthen dialogue and collaboration among countries in Asia and the Pacific on advancing green growth, energy transition, and climate action.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing: To share evidence-based research, policy experiences, and best practices from across the region that can inform sustainable development strategies.
- Highlight Indonesia’s role: To showcase Indonesia’s strategic importance in green industrialization and the clean energy supply chain while addressing the challenges and opportunities it faces.
- Support policy innovation: To explore innovative policy instruments and institutional frameworks that can balance economic growth with environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
- Build networks for action: To connect policymakers, academics, private sector representatives, and civil society, fostering partnerships that can drive practical solutions and long-term cooperation.
High-level officials and experts from the region and beyond will discuss how trade and supply chains can accelerate decarbonization, green industrialization, and clean energy investment. The conference will highlight regional grid initiatives, net-zero strategies, and the importance of subnational and cross-country collaboration.
The event will spotlight Indonesia’s efforts to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability and social responsibility. It will feature the latest research on Indonesia’s strategic role in the global clean energy supply chain, particularly in electric vehicle battery production.
Presentations will explore how the Government of Indonesia is promoting mineral downstream processing to increase domestic value addition. Discussions will also consider the benefits of this initiative, including job creation, poverty reduction, and regional development, alongside potential challenges like environmental risks and unequal economic gains.
- The three-day conference will be held at ADBI in Tokyo and jointly organized with the Center for Global Sustainability, University of Maryland; Institute for Economics and Social Research, University of Indonesia; Indonesia Climate Modelling and Policy Hub; and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia; and Decarbonization for Development Lab (part of CSIS Indonesia).
Speakers at this event include:
- Bambang Brodjonegoro, Dean, Asian Development Bank Institute
- Nate Hultman, Director, Center for Global Sustainability (CGS), University of Maryland
- Jiehong Lou, CGS, University of Maryland
For a full list of event speakers and session topics, click here. Additionally, visit CGS's Country Climate Ambition website, highlighting high ambition pathways for Indonesia to meet its climate goals.
For interviews on the conference topics, please contact Gail Chalef, CGS Director of Communications and Public Affairs, at gchalef@umd.edu.
