Environment Minister Highlights Importance of Climate Change Control Law

The Minister of Environment, Jumhur Hidayat, has emphasised the importance of establishing a standalone Climate Change Control Law. He stated that such legislation is necessary to provide more focused and directed governance.

This was conveyed by Jumhur during the MPR RI Actual Discussion Forum (FDA), themed ‘Perspectives and Input from Policy Stakeholders on the Importance of a Just Climate Change Control Law’, held at the MPR building, Jakarta, on Thursday (17/09/2026).

“There were two issues at the time: first, whether it should be merged with the 2009 Environmental Law, which is being revised, refined, and supplemented with a single article on climate change, or kept separate. That question was posed to me, regarding how I would implement such a law. I stated that the most ideal approach is to keep it separate, so that there is specificity, as this is a new theme and a new issue that requires new management methods. Therefore, alhamdulillah, I conveyed this to my colleagues in Parliament, and it was approved,” he said.

This specific regulation is considered crucial because climate change presents a new challenge. He noted that it requires approaches and handling strategies that differ from ordinary environmental laws.

“We know that old-fashioned development, which relies on fossils and so on, including fossil fuels and forestry, creates inequality,” he remarked.

He stated that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) is incorporating the principle of climate justice into the draft law. Jumhur proposed a new approach: ‘prosperity action’.

“I said that while the world typically focuses on climate mitigation and adaptation, we should add one more: prosperity action. Indonesia must add this third pillar. This is a mandate of Pancasila and the mandate of our nation’s founders; we must ensure everything moves in that direction,” he explained.

The Ministry also plans to conduct comprehensive research regarding current and potential victims of climate change to map the impacts of the crisis over the next two decades. This research, he noted, is vital for preparing mitigation steps so that vulnerable communities do not bear a heavy financial burden during water crises or ecological disasters.

“This is very important because, for example, if you suddenly transition to EVs, approximately one and a half to two million people could face layoffs. As supply chains for internal combustion engines are replaced by electricity, workshops and related businesses may close. Therefore, workers are a major consideration, as there will be a need for reskilling and upgrading for new roles, as new ‘green jobs’ will emerge during this transition,” he concluded.