Healthy environment must be top priority for new regional leaders: MPR

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Eddy Soeparno urged newly inaugurated regional heads, including governors, district heads, and mayors, to strive to fulfill the people's right to a healthy environment.

He affirmed that the central government is actively working to mitigate the effects of climate change and underscored the need for synergy between central and regional environmental policies to address these impacts.

"It is the obligation of regional heads to carry out the mandate of the 1945 Constitution. Among the important and crucial points is the fulfillment of the people's rights to a healthy environment," he remarked here on Friday.

He pointed out that rising pollution levels indicate an impending climate crisis. Therefore, it is crucial to implement simultaneous crisis management strategies at both the central and regional levels.

Additionally, he urged regional heads to contribute to accelerating the shift towards environmentally friendly renewable energy sources.

He noted that many regions in the country possess significant potential for renewable energy and should effectively harness this potential.

"The renewable energy potential that is utilized properly, in addition to being environmentally friendly, will also attract investments that are economically beneficial for the regions and open up new job opportunities," he remarked.

In this regard, he ensured that the MPR is open to collaborating with regional leaders in developing regions and fulfilling people's rights to a healthy environment.

Earlier on Thursday, President Prabowo Subianto officially inaugurated 961 regional leaders simultaneously at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, following the 2024 local polls.

The mass swearing-in ceremony involved 33 governors, 33 deputy governors, 363 district heads, 362 deputy district heads, 85 mayors, and 85 deputy mayors, marking a historical moment for Indonesia.