Climateworks appoints new Country Lead to Indonesia team

Climateworks Centre is delighted to announce Egi Giwangkara has been appointed as the new Country Lead overseeing our Indonesian programs.

‘We are thrilled to welcome Egi to our leadership team at such an important moment, as Climateworks celebrates its five-year anniversary in Indonesia.’ Trang Nguyen, Head of International Programs and Engagement, said. ‘Over the past five years, Climateworks has grown significantly in both size and impact, and Egi has been a crucial part of that journey. His deep understanding of Climateworks’ mission and Indonesia’s policy landscape and key stakeholders will be essential as we enter our next chapter of growth.’

‘At Climateworks, we are committed to developing our people’s leadership capabilities and fostering a work environment where staff can thrive.’ Ms Nguyen said.

Egi started at Climateworks in early 2021, where he was drawn to the organisation’s unique approach.

‘I was very interested in how Climateworks addressed climate in a systemic way, clearly translating ambition into action, and more specifically, taking a forward-looking approach on how Indonesia’s energy sector could reach net zero emissions.’

Back then, Climateworks in Indonesia comprised of four staff, with a more distinct focus on the finance sector. Egi saw an opportunity to bring his expertise in energy and climate to the organisation’s growing portfolio of work.

‘Five years ago, net zero was an alien concept, so not every sector understood its role in decarbonisation. Since then, the land use, energy and even industry sectors have been working to catch up.’

Egi adds that part of the momentum over the past five years comes from Climateworks’ ocean work through its SEAFOAM program. ‘This was one of our big wins to set the discourse for the ocean to be recognised in Indonesia’s nationally determined contribution.’

The Indonesia team celebrated its five-year anniversary in 2025 (a belated celebration of the country office’s inception in 2019). The team welcomed senior stakeholders across government, industry, think tanks and funders who weathered heavy rain and standstill traffic on Friday evening to fill the room in celebration of the work to date.

‘I think that day really acknowledged Climateworks’ presence in Indonesia, our fresh approach and ability to hold the bar high in keeping climate ambitions in focus.’ Egi said. ‘It recognised our strong partnerships and collaborations with governments and like-minded organisations. There was a sense of trust and a keenness to hear what’s next from us.’

For Egi, those opportunities are abundant. ‘It’s a good problem to have. We need to consider the many invitations we now have to collaborate and explore what opportunities fit best with our strategy.’

The Indonesia team now sits at 13 members and counting. The priority for this growing team will be translating ambition into action in the Indonesian context, while strengthening regional collaboration across Southeast Asia and Australia.

This has been exemplified in part through Climateworks’ Net Zero Industrial Precincts work in Indonesia, which Egi was instrumental in building during his role as the Energy and Industry Program Impact Manager. ‘It’s a really new approach in Indonesia – like a missing piece of the puzzle. Most government initiatives are very top-down, and establishing this program of work is a testament to the success of our previous, more localised, work.’

As Egi takes on his new role, he is motivated by the opportunity to guide the next phase of this work and support the team at a defining decade for Indonesia.