Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister, has hit back against criticism from developed countries of Indonesia's ongoing coal reliance, accusing them of hypocrisy.Īnd despite its climate goals, loopholes in Indonesia's commitments mean it could continue to build new coal-fired power plants that are already in planning or that power factories. Jokowi has also appointed a pollution taskforce, though it is headed by a top minister who is reportedly a shareholder in a company with coal-mining interests. The entire capital is due to move next year to the newly constructed city of Nusantara, in Kalimantan, a shift also intended to alleviate pollution. With criticism growing, and having himself reported a cough, Jokowi insisted a new sky train inaugurated in the capital last month would soon help. This may lead to lifelong health problems," said Feni Fitriani Taufik, a lung specialist at Persahabatan Hospital. "If children frequently contract respiratory infections, their lung growth could be impaired. I am so disappointed that I feel hopeless."Ĭhildren are among the most vulnerable to air pollution as their bodies are still developing, and early exposure can have lasting impacts. "The government doesn't appear to fully comprehend our rights and their obligations," the 35-year-old told AFP. The government lost its appeal but has filed another one to the Supreme Court.Ĭempaka Asriani blames poor air quality for the persistent cough her six-year-old son cannot shake.
In 2021, activists and citizens won a lawsuit that found President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and top officials negligent in protecting Jakartans from pollution.
Indonesia has pledged to stop commissioning new plants from 2023 and to be carbon neutral by 2050.īut it is already facing legal action over its slow progress and the resulting impacts on the health of Indonesians. The director of the country's top hospital for respiratory diseases said infections and pneumonia cases spiked "20 to 30 percent" between March and July compared to last year, though he could not say definitively whether pollution was entirely to blame.Īir pollution is driven by multiple causes, with factors like warmer air, wind patterns, and topography playing a role in where pollutants concentrate.Įxperts are also clear that polluting sources of energy like the coal power plants that dot the country play a key role.ĭata modelling by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) suggests emissions from the country's coal-fired power plants in 2022 were responsible for 10,500 deaths and $7.4 billion in health costs. "I feel powerless because no matter how hard I try to maintain a positive mindset and live normally, my body cannot fight against the pollution," Asep, 35, told AFP.
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