Are you familiar with “code blue” in the hospital? Code blue is a term that means emergency conditions that happen in the hospital. We will use “code green” public policy to state that the climate is now in an emergency. Climate change represents a complex and urgent issue of global concern with extensive impacts on the ecosystem, economies and societies around the globe. Manifesting in the form of increased temperatures, extreme weather patterns, heightened rise in sea level, and ecological disturbances, and its effects are growing stronger and more widespread. Even though multiple national policies have been implemented in order to mitigate and adapt, international collaboration is minimal. One of the obstacles is the unequal awareness and knowledge of the local climate effects that prevents effective coordination at the global level.  Despite the fact that climate change has been an issue in the political discourse since the 1980s, it now has to be re-structured as an urgent and collective issue. To overcome this crisis, there is a need to have a multi-stakeholder solution that cuts across boundaries and political borders to encourage sustainable long-term solutions.

Climate change has become an issue of critical concern in the world, which is why concerted efforts are required to reduce the effects of climate change. Indonesia, being among the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the world, has pledged to attain net-zero emissions by 2060 or earlier, as part of its overall development ambitions of having an advanced economy by 2045. This pledge highlights the fact that the country understands the interdependence of environmental sustainability and economic development.

West Java Province, the most populous in Indonesia and a major contributor to the national economy is very central to this transition. The province has developed strategies that support green transition that include increasing the proportion of renewable energy, improving the energy efficiency, and adopting sustainable land-use.

Even with such promises, West Java is struggling with enormous problems. The province is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, especially coal, and coal-fired power plants still make up a large portion of the energy mix in the province. In addition, financial constraints, infrastructural restrictions and policy inconsistencies limit the shift to renewable energy. As an example, Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) has committed up to $20 billion to finance energy transition in Indonesia, but the release of the funds has been postponed, including the planned closure of 660-MW Cirebon-1 power plant in West Java.

To address such challenges, the Code Green concept of public policy arises as a holistic idea that would provide direction in moving West Java towards a low-carbon economy. This strategy focuses on the fact that environmental issues should be incorporated in all facets of policy-making, sustainable development, and a just transition to all stakeholders. Key components include the promotion of renewable energy, sustainable urban planning, waste management reforms, and community engagement. For example, the West Java provincial government has enacted policies to mitigate methane emissions by banning the dumping of organic waste in landfills and seeks to divert 228, 855 tons of organic waste per year in Bandung alone. This will enable West Java to encourage economic growth through its natural attractions and the promotion of environmentally friendly activities, reducing the emission of carbon into the environment.

The development of effective decision-making and proactive activities to prevent and adapt to climate change should be based on the latest scientific understanding. To address this need, the Global Framework on climate services (GFCS) was established in 2009 to help in the incorporation of climate services into development planning and in the provision of customized adaptation options. Since its establishment, there has been a wide spectrum of efforts under the GFCS brand to facilitate the development of climate services across a variety of territorial levels, including global and regional, to support the requirements of different user groups and sectors.

“Code Green” Public Policy Data to Tackle Climate Change in West Java

Climate data are utilized to make local authorities and urban planners aware and interested in urban heat islands (UHI) and climate change. This information may be shared in the form of teaching materials or informational guides such as those of BMKG (climate Agency Indonesia) and Bappenas (Regional Planning Agency Indonesia). Additionally,  climate data are presented during planning meetings and consultations, either at intercommunal or regional level in order to orient new elected officials and technical staff.  Finally, this kind of data can be used to raise awareness among the general population, aid in communicating city initiatives and building community support.

Climate data play a very critical role in assessing the vulnerability of the territories, thus aiding the diagnostic needs required by urban planning frameworks at different levels of governance, including the local urbanism plans and intercommunal territorial coherence plans. These diagnostics can be supplemented by the incorporation of urban heat island (UHI) assessment in order to identify the urban areas that are especially vulnerable to thermal stress. Such tangible evidence is used by municipal departments to engage policymakers in addressing urban overheating challenges. Moreover, the spatialization of climate data makes it possible to identify the most impacted areas and, therefore, contributes to the prioritization and strategic targeting of public interventions. Public policy that supports climate change prevention is Presidential Regulation No. 61/2011, Energy Law No. 30/2007 & Presidential Regulation No. 22/2017 (RUEN), Low Carbon Development Initiative (LCDI). However, it should be followed by the implementation of priority public policy as soon as possible with code green public policy as the priority regulation.

In case the code green public policy become priorities, the Indonesian dream on 2050 to realize zero emission will materialize.

For instance, the monitoring of climate indicators as of May 2025 by World Meteorological Agency (WMO) reveals that both the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) as well as the ENSO are in neutral phases. The IOD index registered a value of -0.15, and it is projected to be neutral in the second half of 2025. On the same note, the sea surface temperature anomalies in the Nino 3.4 region were reported at -0.15, which indicates neutral ENSO conditions, and is also expected to remain persistent throughout the latter part of the year.

Rainfall distribution during the second dekad of May 2025 varied as follows:

• Intensity: 20% of areas experienced low rainfall, 70% moderate, and 10% high to very high rainfall.
• Rainfall Characteristics: Below-normal (23%), normal (19%), and above-normal (58%) conditions were observed.

Climate monitoring shows a neutral IOD and ENSO period that is likely to continue into the late 2025  accompanied by very varied rainfall patterns. Whereas there is a high risk of floods in some areas because of heavy precipitation, there could be long dry periods in others, especially in southern Indonesia. These forecasts demonstrate the importance of spatially informed planning as well as targeted climate adaptation strategies for both agricultural and urban resilience across the length and breadth of the Indonesian archipelago.

Indonesia’s climate policies show a  very particular trend that is both multisectoral and holistic in terms of mitigation and adaptation. From national emission targets to regional based resilience planning, Indonesia continues to build a significant amount of institutional and legal frameworks that would facilitate a low-carbon and climate-resilient future. Nevertheless, effective implementation needs effective coordination, finance, capacity building and monitoring mechanisms.

“Code Green” Public Policy with Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is a very critical dimension of climate change governance in Indonesia's West Java province, where social-economic inequalities tend to overlap with environmental vulnerability. Communities living in informal settlements, coastal lowlands and urban peripheries often experience floods and extreme rainfall, sea-level rise, and drought. These communities are usually systematically disadvantaged when it comes to engaging in the decision-making process regarding land use, disaster management, and allocation of resources. Consequently, the adaptation strategies might not well capture the needs and abilities of the most vulnerable populations and thereby worsen the prevailing inequalities. A justice-oriented climate framework demands that such marginalized groups should be given priority in policy interventions whereby equitable access to climate-resilient infrastructures, clean water, early warning and livelihood support must be provided to them.

In West Java, the attainment of environmental justice also entails addressing the historical and structural causes of vulnerability such as uncontrolled urban sprawling, industrial contamination, and deforestation. The local and provincial governments should also include principles of procedural and distributive justice in climate planning, making sure that vulnerable populations are not only beneficiaries of the mitigation and adaptation process but are also actively engaged in their design and implementation. Strengthening inclusive governance by using participatory risk assessment, gender sensitive programming, and community-based monitoring, which help realign power dynamics ,  leading to greater climate resilience. By embedding environmental justice in West Java’s climate agenda, policymakers can promote both social equity as well as ecological sustainability in the midst of accelerating climate impacts.

Conclusion

The government has undertaken public policy planning initiatives aimed at improving urban livability and ecological sustainability. The climate change prevention program with code green in the public policy would ultimately lead to more long term influence. A successful climate-related information dissemination plan should take into account the different degrees of user sophistication and institutional ability. On the basic level, the information needs to be in a format that can be directly used by the local authorities irrespective of their level of technical expertise. This is an essential aspect of inclusivity, because most municipalities do not have specialized resources, including internal geomatics departments or access to external consultants. Thus, the design of dissemination instruments should be more usable and understandable to help them to be adopted by the institutions widely. Code green priority public policy should be incorporated and fully implemented.