Supporting Indonesia’s leadership on ocean–climate on the global stage

What we’re solving

The ocean and its blue carbon ecosystems hold significant potential to mitigate climate change.

Southeast Asia is home to the world’s richest blue carbon ecosystems, vast offshore renewable energy potential and some of the busiest maritime trade routes.

Yet fragmented governance, weak monitoring, reporting and verification systems, limited policy integration and insufficient finance have prevented ocean-based solutions from being fully embedded in regional climate strategies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Our impact

Climateworks Centre helped shape Indonesia’s updated NDC and blue‑carbon capabilities, positioning the country as an early global leader in ocean‑based climate action.

How we drove change

Climateworks’ Southeast Asia Framework for Oceans Action in Mitigation (SEAFOAM) program addresses this gap by helping to integrate ocean-based mitigation into NDCs, aligning policy and finance and unlocking the region’s capacity to deliver both emissions reductions and climate resilience.

The program began with an initial pilot in Indonesia, and in 2023, it released a first-of-its-kind report, Sea of opportunity: Ocean-based mitigation to support Indonesia’s climate ambition.

The report demonstrated how incorporating ocean-based mitigation into Indonesia’s NDC could strengthen the country’s maritime strategy and accelerate progress toward limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

While setting ambitious targets is essential, demonstrating implementation and feasibility is equally critical.

Through policy engagement, capacity building and technical analysis, in 2025, Climateworks:

• published a second report, Turning the tide, outlining actionable pathways across three priority sectors: blue carbon nature-based solutions, maritime industry and infrastructure, and offshore renewable energy
• completed a blue carbon training syllabus to equip marine and coastal practitioners with the skills needed to generate credible, policy-relevant evidence and strengthen their understanding of the ocean-climate policy landscape
• established a Blue Carbon Community of Practice that includes public, private and civil society, government institutions, universities, financiers and practitioners to strengthen cross-sector collaboration in advancing ocean–climate action
• supported the development of Indonesia’s Sustainable Green Taxonomy (version 3), including the integration of fisheries activities.

These interventions not only informed policy development but also built momentum for Indonesia to take a leadership role in ocean-based mitigation.

Indonesia submitted its second NDC and became one of the first countries to join the Blue NDC Challenge announced at COP30.

At the recent World Economic Forum, Indonesia’s President Prabowo underscored the importance of the ocean in climate action and invited global leaders to attend the Ocean Impact Summit in Bali.

In recognition of Climateworks’ contribution to advancing ocean–climate action, the SEAFOAM program was nominated for the ‘Fix our climate’ category of the 2025 Earthshot Prize.

What’s next

Climateworks will continue its goal of not only supporting Indonesia in strengthening domestic action but also positioning the country as a global champion of ocean–climate solutions.

Through capacity-building initiatives and advancing blue finance, we will support Indonesia in accelerating its ocean–climate action.

Help accelerate action on net zero

Climateworks’ impact is built on the foresight, generosity and commitment of our philanthropic supporters.

We are proud to work alongside trusts, foundations, private donors, philanthropic associations and wealth advisers whose continued support strengthens our ability to drive meaningful climate action across Australia and Southeast Asia.

Please consider contributing to our impact in 2026 via a donation towards our work.

Your support will help us accelerate ambitious, evidence-based action for net zero. 

You are also welcome to reach out to the philanthropy team directly at supporters@climateworkscentre.org.