The annual event organized by the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) successfully held the Indonesia Net-Zero Summit (INZS) 2025 on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at Djakarta Theatre XXI, Central Jakarta. The theme was “Raising Indonesia’s Game: Staying Climate-Focused in Times of Great Distraction.” This forum aims to address the growing threat of climate change to human life. The climate crisis not only endangers urban communities but also poses a threat to farmers struggling with drought-induced crop failures and coastal communities at risk of flooding due to climate change. Therefore, in this annual event, it is time for us to #GenNetZero and take a greater role in saving our planet.
At the Indonesia Net-Zero Summit 2025, Enter Nusantara participated in the panel session titled “Taking Full Control to Save Our World’s Future.” Alongside Ghina Tandjoedin (IOIJI), Jerhemy Owen (@bumiterra), and Emma Batty Sukerta, and moderated by Vania Fitryanti Herlambang, we discussed strategies to expand the influence of young people so that they are not only active on social media but also heard in policy-making spaces.
Through the voice of Reka Maharwati as Coordinator of Enter Nusantara, we are here to share stories from the grassroots about communities continuously struggling with the impacts of the climate crisis and how a fair and equitable energy transition is a crucial path toward a more sustainable future for all.
“We believe that the energy transition must prioritize fairness. It’s not just about providing energy; we are also fighting for all segments of society, including small communities like the residents of Pari Island who are currently facing intimidation from companies,” said Reka Maharwati.
All this time, we have not just been sitting on formal stages. Instead, we have been going directly into the field, witnessing and helping to overcome the climate issues faced by communities. On remote islands like Pari Island in the Thousand Islands archipelago, we’ve helped residents gain access to clean electricity for their agricultural needs. We’ve also been present in Sembalun, Lombok, Yogyakarta, Padang, and Garut. We’ve been there alongside the community to provide solutions to the climate crisis.
Reka also explained in his presentation that Indonesia, with 253 operational coal-fired power plants, is suffering losses amounting to trillions of rupiah due to dirty energy. “We continue to advocate for financial institutions like BNI to stop funding dirty energy projects like coal-fired power plants,” he said.
We also continue to encourage young people to be more mindful and aware of the impacts of their financial decisions. Many of us are unaware that the money we deposit in banks, which seems safe and passive, may be used by financial institutions to fund dirty energy projects, such as coal-fired power plants and those that damage the environment. Therefore, it is important for us to ask: where is our money flowing? Is it exacerbating the climate crisis, or is it supporting clean energy and a more sustainable future?
In INZS 2025, Enter Nusantara emphasizes that the future of energy should not depend on dirty energy sources that damage the environment and sacrifice small communities. The future of energy must be clean, fair, and inclusive, involving the younger generation as the main drivers of change towards a sustainable energy system that upholds the values of justice in its implementation.
