Climate change is often viewed as an environmental issue. In reality, its impacts are far more widespread. When land productivity declines, energy costs rise, or hydrometeorological disasters occur more frequently, it is not only forests or air quality that are affected, but also people’s livelihoods, regional economic competitiveness, and the government’s ability to provide quality public services.

Therefore, efforts to address climate change cannot be limited to isolated, sector-specific approaches. Land management, energy systems, development policies, and community participation must be viewed as part of a single, interconnected system. Success in one sector often depends on progress in others.

Based on this reasoning, WWF Indonesia and Auriga, with support from the European Union, are implementing the program Enabling Civil Society’s Contribution to Prosperous, Fair, and Sustainable Development in Energy Transition and Sustainable Land Use. This program is taking place in West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, and Southeast Sulawesi.

The program’s primary objective is not merely to carry out a series of activities, but to strengthen the role of civil society so that it can contribute more tangibly to the development process and policy-making. Through a multi-stakeholder approach involving civil society organizations, farmer groups, universities, local governments, and relevant ministries, this program seeks to ensure that low-carbon development is not merely a government agenda, but a shared agenda that is understood, supported, and implemented by various parties.

This article is not intended as an activity report. Its focus is on explaining how the various interventions carried out in Jambi are interconnected within a single framework of change: achieving development that is more prosperous, more equitable, and more sustainable.

One of the greatest challenges in sustainable development is maintaining a balance between the economic needs of communities and the sustainability of natural resources. In many regions, economic pressures often drive unsustainable land use. In the short term, these conditions may provide economic benefits, but in the long term, they actually increase communities’ vulnerability to climate change, reduce land productivity, and heighten the risk of ecological disasters.

To address these challenges, this program promotes the implementation of the Long-Term Strategy (SJB) as part of the Sustainable Land Use Management agenda. This approach aims to restore the ecological functions of degraded forests and land through agroforestry systems and more sustainable land management practices.

However, the SJB is not merely about planting trees or increasing vegetation cover. What is more important is how ecosystem restoration can go hand in hand with improving community well-being. This perspective is also emphasized by the local CSOs serving as facilitators: “The most important lessons actually lie in the aspects of facilitation and sustainability. Strengthening farmers’ capacity, consistent mentoring, and institutional support are key factors in ensuring the program’s long-term success,” —Bestamir Arief, SJB Program Coordinator at PUNDI.

Through crop diversification, increased land productivity, reduced risk of business failure due to climate change, and the strengthening of community capacity and management rights, SJB strives to build a more resilient rural economic foundation.

In other words, landscape restoration is not positioned as a conservation agenda alone, but rather as a development strategy capable of creating environmental benefits while strengthening community economic resilience.

On the other hand, sustainable development also demands more efficient energy use. Many local governments face the challenges of rising energy demand, high operational costs for public facilities, and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These challenges are part of the Just Energy Transition agenda, which is also promoted in this program.

The first step taken is to help local governments understand the emissions situation in their regions through a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory. This inventory is not merely a process of collecting emissions data, but serves as the foundation for understanding the relationship between development activities, energy consumption, and their impact on the environment.

The resulting data helps local governments identify priority sectors, understand opportunities for emissions reduction, and formulate more efficient and competitive development policies. In this context, the GHG inventory is not only an environmental tool but also an evidence-based development planning tool.

These efforts were further strengthened through the implementation of energy efficiency measures in public buildings—particularly hospitals—via assessment and audit activities conducted as a pilot project at three hospitals in the city of Jambi. This choice was not made without reason; hospitals are facilities that operate almost nonstop and require significant energy consumption. Energy efficiency in these hospitals is a crucial strategic step, given that healthcare facilities operate 24 hours a day. Support for this initiative was expressed by Dr. dr. H. Maulana, M.K.M., Mayor of Jambi: “Improving energy efficiency must become a shared priority, without in any way compromising the quality or comfort of public services. I hope this initiative can raise awareness and encourage other healthcare facilities, particularly through training programs and practical energy audit practices.”

Every successful energy savings initiative not only contributes to reducing emissions but also results in significant savings in operating costs.

These savings can ultimately be redirected to improve the quality of healthcare services, upgrade facilities, or support other community needs. This experience demonstrates that the energy transition is not only about environmental targets but also delivers immediate economic and social benefits.

Although they operate in different sectors, Sustainable Land Use Management and Just Energy Transition actually share the same goal. Both strive to create a development system that is more efficient, more resilient, and more equitable. SJB demonstrates that sound land management can improve community well-being while simultaneously enhancing environmental conditions. Meanwhile, energy efficiency proves that reducing emissions can go hand in hand with cost savings and improved public service quality.

However, experiences in various places show that change will not be sustainable if it relies solely on technical interventions. Change requires social support, spaces for dialogue, and the involvement of various stakeholders with an interest in development.

Therefore, this program positions civil society as one of the main drivers of change. Public campaigns, community education, and the involvement of women, youth, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups are carried out to ensure that the benefits of low-carbon development are accessed more equitably. Nevertheless, Adi Candra—Activity Coordinator at Mitra Aksi—noted that, “Strengthening integration among actors is still needed. Although currently, various parties have demonstrated their commitment, with spaces for dialogue beginning to open up and increasing awareness of the importance of data and collaboration in energy planning.”

This approach is crucial because the transition to a green economy must not create new inequalities. On the contrary, the transition must open up broader opportunities for all segments of society to participate in and benefit from the development process.

At the same time, a multi-stakeholder forum has been established as a space for collaboration among local governments, civil society organizations, academics, the private sector, the media, and local communities. This forum serves as a platform to bring together knowledge, interests, and resources that have often operated in isolation. Support from local governments through policies, gubernatorial decisions, and institutional facilitation is a key factor in ensuring that the processes established do not end when a project is completed, but can continue to be part of the regional development mechanism.

Thus, GHG inventories, energy efficiency, the Medium-Term Strategy, public campaigns, and the multi-stakeholder forum are not standalone activities. All of these are part of the same effort to strengthen three pillars of development simultaneously: natural capital through landscape restoration; economic capital through increased productivity and resource efficiency; and social capital through strengthened community participation and collaborative governance.

All too often, the success of a project is measured by the number of activities carried out, the number of participants in attendance, or the number of documents successfully drafted. Yet real change occurs when communities have better livelihood options, governments are able to make decisions based on data and evidence, public services become more efficient, and the environment remains capable of sustaining the needs of future generations.

It is at that point that a project ceases to be merely a project and begins to become part of the development transformation process.

Ultimately, what we aim to build is not merely a successful project, but a development ecosystem capable of maintaining a balance between community well-being, environmental health, and regional economic sustainability. This is the essence of prosperous, fair, and sustainable development.