New Energy Nexus Indonesia invites hundreds of young people to ‘Megalungan Iklim’ a collaborative climate innovation gathering and a music performance by Nosstress.

Denpasar, October 12, 2024 – To celebrate Galungan and Kuningan, New Energy Nexus (NEX) Indonesia hosted the Megalungan Iklim event, inviting young people, climate innovation startup founders, local communities, industry experts, and artists to collaborate in advancing climate innovation and supporting Bali’s green economy ecosystem.

The event drew inspiration from Galungan, a Balinese tradition symbolizing the triumph of dharma (good) over adharma (evil). Megalungan Iklim served as a platform for cross-sector collaboration, fostering solutions and promoting the growth of environmentally and climate-conscious innovations and businesses.

Held at Taman Baca Kesiman, Diyanto Imam, Director of New Energy Nexus Indonesia, highlighted the role of youth, informal spaces, art, and innovation in building a green economy and achieving a Net Zero Emissions Bali.

“Innovation and climate solutions have always been part of Bali’s tradition. We’re not introducing something new but inviting young people to reconnect with the essence of life—harmony with nature, even in economic activities. Through Megalungan Iklim and our Matangi Bali Initiative in partnership with Koalisi Bali Emisi Nol Bersih, we aim to empower youth to drive low-carbon technologies and sustainable business models, especially in tourism, supported by robust concepts, innovative technology, and sustainable funding,” said Diyanto Imam.

In the discussion titled “Facing the Climate Crisis in Bali: Climate Entrepreneurship and Community Roles,” Ni Nyoman Rida Bimastini (Ima), Co-founder and CMO of MagiFarm—a social enterprise from Bali focusing on sustainable food waste management—shared her experience in building a startup that addresses waste issues while reducing carbon emissions. As a grant recipient through the Matangi Bali Initiative, Ima demonstrated how climate entrepreneurship can provide tangible solutions to environmental challenges in Bali and strengthen local innovation.

“Supporting local social innovation and businesses means contributing to the growth of the community. Together with Soma, my co-founder at MagiFarm, we are committed that making a positive impact on society is our top priority. Our vision is to see Bali clean again, free from organic waste ending up in landfills. To achieve this vision, sustainable funding is undoubtedly one of the key factors. However, while many industries strive to grow in ways that may harm the environment, we believe the opposite—that our business can continue to grow because we prioritize environmental sustainability,” said Ima.

Moderated by Anak Agung Gde Ngurah Termana, Community Development Specialist at WRI Indonesia, Muhammad Haiqal Rizaldi, a Green Infrastructure Project Financing Specialist at WRI Indonesia, explained emissions and their impacts on the environment and daily life. Additionally, Luh Putu Anggita Baruna Putri, Community Manager at Sungai Watch, highlighted the importance of community involvement in supporting the initiatives and movements carried out by Sungai Watch.

The Megalungan Iklim event featured a blend of Balinese tradition and sustainability activities, including making penjor and gebogan, preparing sate lilit, practicing the kecak dance, and performances by traditional arts groups Ngelawang and Bondres Rare Kual. The band, Nosstress, brought discussions to life through music, urging young people to adopt sustainable lifestyle. Their performance brought climate discussions beyond large conferences and into a medium familiar to young people—music. Through their songs, Nosstress reminded attendees that evening to embrace the concept of living within your means and to every our decisions and small actions, can give positive change to our environment.

Dinda and Nila, attendees of the event, shared their excitement. “The event was so much fun! I’m Balinese, but I rarely make

-for Galungan—my father usually does. It was amazing to feel the celebration while learning new things,” Dinda said.

Nila added, “The discussion sessions were fascinating. We learned about new organizations and practices we can adopt at home. The insights from MagiFarm about food waste processing using maggots were particularly eye-opening. Now, we’re inspired to apply these lessons in our daily lives.”

Megalungan Iklim also showcased five startups from the Matangi Bali Initiative’s product prototype development program, Smart Energy Lab. These included: