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Rachmat Witoelar, Indonesian President’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Rachmat Witoelar

Rachmat Witoelar is the Indonesian President’s Special Envoy for Climate Change. He held a position as the Indonesian Minister of Environment (2004 – 2009), and the Executive Chair of the Indonesian National Council on Climate Change (2010 – 2014).

His work in the area of environment and climate change issues has led him to head the Indonesian delegation to the Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change since COP11 in Montreal in 2005, until COP22 in Marrakech in 2015.

Mr. Witoelar has held the Presidency position in several multilateral events, such as:

• The President of the United Nations Environment Programme Governing Council (2005 – 2007).
• The President of COP 13 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2007 – 2008).
• The President of COP 9 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal (2008-2009).

Rachmat Witoelar was Indonesia’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia (1993–1997) and had a long tenure as a member of the Indonesian Parliament (1971–1993).

He graduated as an architect from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 1971. He is currently an Adjunct Professor in Environmental Management from Griffith University, Australia. Through Mr. Witoelar’s dedication to teaching and public outreach on climate change and sustainable development issues, he was awarded honorary professorships from Udayana University and Hasanuddin University in Indonesia. 

Mr. Witoelar is frequently invited to speak at several international events such as the Eco City World Summit, Asia Pacific Adaptation Network, International Conference on Sustainable Development at Columbia University in the City of New York, Innovative and Climate Smart Cities organized by the Asia Society Forum, and Walk21 Conference on Walking and Livable Communities in Hongkong. 

Rachmat Witoelar is the Head of National Advisory Team for ICLEI Indonesia, Advisory Board for Sustainable District Roundtable (Lingkar Temu Kabupaten Lestari) as well as the member of the Advisory Team for Adipura Award, clean-and-green-city environment award. The team evaluates hundreds of cities annualy.

He received a Medal of Highest Honor from the Government of Turkmenistan as well as Award and Decoration from The Indonesian Government, namely the Satya Lencana Penegak and Mahaputra Adipradana.
 


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Shannon Kennedy
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