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Environmental issues still low on agenda as pragmatism prevails: Experts
Pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia executive director Burhanuddin Muhtadi said as Jokowi was a technocratic populist, he criticized him for not having an ideological orientation on environmentalism and instead based his policies on pragmatism.
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Residents scavenge from waste piling up on Muara Lasak Beach in Padang, West Sumatra on Wednesday. (Antara/Muhammad Arif Pribadi)
T
he environmental agenda is expected to still be ignored in Indonesia this year by policymakers as political pragmatism prevails, experts and activists said, raising concerns over pressing environmental issues and their impacts on society.
The value of pragmatism, which dominates Indonesia’s politics and is President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo’s political principle, made it hard for environmental issues to gain traction as electoral issues or become aligned with the government’s agenda.
Pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia executive director Burhanuddin Muhtadi said as Jokowi was a technocratic populist, he criticized him for not having an ideological orientation on environmentalism and instead based his policies on pragmatism.
“If we take a closer look at the president’s statements, especially after he won the 2019 election, he repeatedly spoke about the threats of a global economic recession. So that’s the issue he cares about,” he said.
Burhanuddin added that Jokowi would only consider adopting an environmentally friendly policy if it supports his economic agenda or if it becomes a major public concern.
“In Europe, they strongly reject palm oil because conservation issues have become strongly political. The question is: Have we succeeded in making conservation a mainstream issue?” he said.
He also pointed out that issues concerning the environment have not been popular among both lawmakers and the general public.
