As registration for the 2024 general election draws near, many Indonesians are keen to vote in candidates who place climate action and sustainability at the heart of their platforms, though some voters say they have seen little sign that politicians share these priorities.

Reiko Iesha, a 23-year-old content writer, said the environmental hazards that loomed over the nation were “scary”.

“[The climate] is an important issue for me in the election, since climate change affects the entire world. The thing is, I hear about what’s happening everywhere else across the world, but as an Indonesian, I experience it right here and now,” Reiko told The Jakarta Post.

She said she had to dig deep to find for any climate or sustainability action plans from candidates, an omission she found “worrying”.

“Political figures are obviously aware of climate issues, and yet I’ve gained very little from the candidates’ promises so far,” she said on Wednesday.

The official election campaign period kicks off on Nov. 28, although most presumptive candidates have made use of loopholes in campaign regulations to quietly promote themselves.

‘Lip service’

Political watcher Naifa Ufaira, a 24-year-old Jakarta resident, said climate issues were a deciding factor for her vote, and she lamented the fact that presidential candidates were hardly talking about them.

“From what I’ve seen and heard, I don’t see it as a concern for them. They’ve mentioned climate change here and there but without any weight and significance,” she told the Post on Wednesday.

Thirty-five-year-old Max Mandias, chief innovation officer at Green Rebel Foods and an advocate for plant-based eating and sustainable living, thought there had been a lot of “lip service about climate change” this year.

“While it’s not a deciding factor for me in voting, we definitely have to choose fairly with climate issues in mind,” Max told the Post on Wednesday.

He had been disappointed by the fact that climate change promises from potential candidates were “very rare” and said all he had been hearing about was the economy and infrastructure.

“To be fair, I don’t think climate change is a simple issue,” Max said. “We can’t just go, ‘No more palm oil exports!’ even though it might be a logical solution. We also know the tough reality of it in the field,” he said.

Doddy Sukadri, executive director of the Green Partnership Foundation (Yayasan Mitra Hijau), felt most candidates lacked conviction in their climate proposals even if they made them.

“I’ve heard some promises here and there, but I know they’re all apathetic [toward climate issues],” he told the Post on Wednesday.

No excuse

With increasing pressure on Indonesia to make bigger climate commitments and reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible, candidates for public office in 2024 have their work cut out for them.

Indonesia is aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2060 or sooner, but critics say this deadline allows fossil fuel use for far too long.

Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) founder Dino Patti Djalal said prospects for Indonesia’s climate policies depended on the political situation, as public awareness on the issue was nowhere near optimal.

“The FPCI wants climate change to be one of the main agenda items for the national election. We want whoever is elected to have a clear vision on climate change,” he said at this week’s Indonesia Net Zero Summit 2023 event.

“They can no longer say they do not understand or do not care. That may have been accepted in 2019, 2014 or earlier, but not anymore.”

In its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document submitted to the United Nations, Indonesia is aiming to reduce emissions by 32 percent independently or by 43 percent with international assistance by 2030.

Differing visions

Speaking at the summit during a session on climate policy on June 24, a number of politicians made their first major attempts to outline their perspectives on the matter.

Golkar Party chairman Airlangga Hartarto said that while Indonesia had committed to reaching net-zero by 2060, he believed the development of nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage technology and the carbon market could be utilized further to address climate change and economic development.

“I believe that technology can solve any problem, as long as it is used for the people’s prosperity,” he asserted.

In a pre-recorded message, Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, the presidential nominee of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said addressing climate change should be a collective effort based on a clear government road map and public participation.

“We can only address this through gotong royong [mutual cooperation], not by pointing fingers at each other,” he said.

In another pre-recorded message for the event, presidential nominee Anies Baswedan of the Coalition for Change and Unity (KPP) said that addressing climate change required consistent regulations and execution.

“We need a solution to this climate crisis, one that allows for participation by all members of society, not just a door for commercial interests,” he said.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil urged people to study the track records of politicians running in the upcoming election before casting their votes.

“I hope next year there will be more rational voters than emotional voters, who still dominate a young democracy like Indonesia’s,” Ridwan said.

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