The approaching COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, will spotlight countries’ updated climate commitments to the Paris Agreement – their second nationally determined contributions (SNDCs). 

SNDCs will set the stage for climate ambition in the next decade and strongly influence the national planning, policy and governance needed to affect change.

Historically, NDCs have concentrated on land use and energy as key sectors for climate action. However, ocean-based climate action is gaining attention. 

Last year, at COP28, the first Global Stocktake highlighted the urgency of an ocean-centric climate agenda, encouraging countries to strengthen ocean-based action by protecting and preserving the ocean and coastal ecosystems. 

As the world’s largest archipelagic country, Indonesia is one of the most important countries for ocean-based climate mitigation. This year, the country indicated that marine and coastal ecosystems would be included in its SNDC.

Indonesia’s second NDC

In September, Indonesia released its draft SNDC for public consultation and plans to submit its final version before COP29. 

Responses to the draft varied. There were concerns over data uncertainty and the integrity of ocean-based ecosystem offsets, but the inclusion of ocean-related climate action was viewed generally as a positive step forward.

As part of the Climateworks Centre SEAFOAM project, we conducted research and engaged with stakeholders in Indonesia to identify three ways the country could deliver more ambitious and measurable ocean-based climate action in the next decade.

1. Improve blue ecosystem data availability, access and use

Data collection and methodology frameworks help countries design implementable NDCs and inform national planning, target setting, reporting and decision-making. 

There is a long-standing data gap around seagrass ecosystems, which limits knowledge about their coverage, health, and ability to capture and store carbon over time. 

These gaps are complicated by the extent and remoteness of marine ecosystems as well as technology and skills gaps.

Some progress has been made internationally in gathering missing coastal and marine data. 

For example, Seabed 2030 aims to compile all available seabed mapping by 2030, and the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership aims to develop ocean accounts with at least 30 countries by 2030. 

More recently, Indonesia launched its Ocean Accounts Dashboard in July 2024. 

As part of this work, the Indonesian government participated in the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership, with ocean accounting pilots completed in 2022 and additional pilots in the pipeline. 

These initiatives represent a step forward in addressing a historical data gap in understanding Indonesian coastal and marine ecosystems’ magnitude, complexity, and potential.

Still, more work is needed to ensure accurate data is available to support evidence-based national planning and Paris-aligned climate ambition.

With better and more accessible blue ecosystem data, Indonesia could set more ambitious and context-specific NDC targets, sized to its potential for ocean-based climate action.

2. Support blue carbon science to bridge knowledge and capacity gaps 

‘Blue carbon’ refers to carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems. 

It is a field where more research is needed. 

For example, it is currently not known precisely how much carbon dioxide some marine ecosystems absorb or for how long that carbon is stored. 

Seagrass ecosystems, in contrast to more researched ecosystems like mangroves, will benefit from more and better data to fully understand their blue carbon potential and their role in supporting biodiversity and livelihoods. 

Blue carbon science is a critical element of ocean literacy. 

Blue carbon knowledge can inform the design of sustainable blue finance mechanisms to support social, biodiversity and climate goals. 

The Coral Triangle region – a marine area around Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste – is an increasingly fruitful contributor to global blue carbon knowledge, with Indonesia leading the region in knowledge production.

Sealife in ocean
(Unsplash: Lance Anderson)

Indonesia plays a significant role in the regional and global understanding of blue ecosystems and, ultimately, how the ocean can support climate goals.

Many marine science disciplines intersect with climate science. 

Additional work is needed to strengthen fundamental areas at the ocean-climate nexus and in more specialised areas like carbon crediting certification of blue carbon ecosystems.

3. Create an enabling environment for collaboration and blue investment

NDC implementation requires clear national policy guidelines to develop more localised and context-specific planning at the provincial and local levels. 

Such strategic and contextualised NDC implementation has the potential to address global climate goals while remaining responsive to local priorities and needs.

Successfully implementing its NDC will require multi-level and collaborative actions across all sectors of the Indonesian economy, including knowledge generation, capacity building, and innovation.

Public-private partnerships to invest in ocean-based and climate opportunities will be a key aspect of NDC implementation over time. 

Indonesia could potentially see investment arise from two main areas: natural capital and commodities from fisheries, aquaculture and shipping. 

These are strategic sectors for a sustainable blue economy, an important component of Indonesia’s 2025–2045 long-term economic transformation strategy. 

Despite its potential, private sector participation may remain hindered by a lack of bankable projects that are attractive, secure, scalable and risk-tolerant. 

Public finance and philanthropy can help remove this barrier by closing the funding gap for nature-positive projects and actively de-risking climate finance. 

The road ahead 

Climate action in the next decade is critical. NDCs help countries collectively address climate change and create a global framework – with clear aims, ambitions and timelines – for the transition to net zero emissions.

With its SNDC, Indonesia has significant opportunities to influence and elevate climate ambition via clear national policies with direct impact at provincial and local levels.

Translating this SNDC climate ambition into blue investments and tangible benefits for ocean ecosystems, people, and climate will require technology and innovation, access to data, knowledge generation, capacity-building opportunities and stronger collaboration between national and subnational policy-makers, non-governmental actors and the private sector. 

Over the next decade, Indonesia has the potential to play a leading role in raising ocean-based climate ambition, turning existing challenges into opportunities.

Read more: