Jakarta, July 4, 2025 – In the spirit of strengthening cross-sector collaboration to realize an equitable and inclusive energy transition, Enter Nusantara, together with Climate Rangers and BEM FMIPA Universitas Indonesia, held a public discussion entitled “Strengthening the Role of Young People in Accelerating a just Energy Transition in Jakarta.”
The event, which took place at Building B101 FMIPA UI, Depok, successfully presented representatives from the DKI Jakarta local government, academics, as well as civil society organizations and youth communities. The discussion addressed the urgency of community-based energy transition and explored the potential for collaboration between government, academia, and youth communities in supporting climate justice, especially in Jakarta.
Epen Kuswandi, a representative of the National Unity and Political Agency of DKI Jakarta Province, emphasized that Jakarta was built on the foundation of plurality. Therefore, the energy transition process must also involve all levels of society.
“Jakarta is built on pluralism and togetherness. Therefore, the commitment to achieving clean energy must be inclusive and involve all elements, especially young people,” he said.
Furthermore, he said that the Governor of DKI Jakarta welcomed the organization of this discussion. “But what is more important is how to take concrete steps forward. There must be clear and actionable recommendations,” he said.
In addition, Ayiful Ramadhan A., as the Head of the Energy Division of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Manpower, Transmigration, and Energy Office, said in his presentation that Jakarta has set an ambitious target to reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 through a low-carbon development plan and towards net zero emissions by 50% in the same year.
The energy transition in Jakarta is not an option but a necessity that must be fought for… One concrete step is to encourage energy conservation, such as shifting from private vehicles to public transportation,” Ayiful explained.
He also said that the 2023 RUED targets the construction of 200 MW of solar power plants (PLTS), which is an important milestone towards the renewable energy mix.
Why should young people fight for the energy transition?
Although the proportion of renewable energy in Indonesia’s primary energy mix is increasing, the growth is still relatively slow, reaching only 15.1% by 2024. Meanwhile, IDR 89 trillion of funds from six national banks still flowed into fossil energy projects during 2018-2020. On the other hand, the potential of community-based renewable energy is still not optimally maximized.
In fact, according to research results from 350 Indonesia and CELIOS. This community-based renewable energy can reap benefits of up to IDR 10,529 trillion to GDP in 25 years. In addition, with the rampant unemployment rate, renewable energy can reduce poverty for more than 16 million people and can create 96 million new jobs.
This discussion is very important because the energy transition from fossil energy to renewable energy is not just a technological issue but a justice that must be fought for. The role of communities, especially young people, is crucial in ensuring that the transition process does not leave anyone behind, especially vulnerable groups. Through this discussion, participants were invited to explore the potential of community-based renewable energy and explore opportunities for collaboration between government, academia, and community organizations.
This discussion not only looks at the point of view of the speakers but also opens a space for exchanging ideas and aspirations between participants and stakeholders. This is a tangible form of youth participation in voicing a sustainable and equitable energy future.
This public discussion is a place for concrete collaboration in the future to address renewable energy issues. The cross-sector commitment is expected to become a forum that can produce joint programs, collaborative research, and capacity building between communities in developing locally based clean energy.
We also believe that community-scale development can be a very important driver in accelerating the energy transition. This can be done through various schemes, including one of the programs that we have been running so far, namely Sedekah Energi. This program is a collective approach that emphasizes the value of mutual cooperation in distributing clean energy access fairly.
We believe that young people are not only the recipients of the impact of the climate crisis, but they are agents of change who can lead the transition to a greener, fairer, and more sustainable future.
