Students Propose Policy Solutions to Combat Air Pollution via Competition

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A number of students from various universities have proposed several policies to overcome air pollution and support government efforts to tackle urban air pollution through the ‘Biru Voices: Clean Air Policy Competition 2026’.

In a statement received in Jakarta on Saturday, University of Indonesia academic and former Spokesperson for President SBY (200Y-2014), Julian Aldrin Pasha, assessed that the learning process within the competition is vital in shaping the younger generation as ‘Clean Air Advocates’.

“What we are witnessing today is an extraordinary performance, I believe, of how ideas can be presented in a complete presentation involving everyone. As we know, today’s competition involves several components, and it is very good for showing how public concerns are raised, explained, and sought for solutions in the form of policy briefs,” said Julian.

He made these remarks after observing presentations from 10 teams from various Indonesian higher education institutions presenting policy recommendations to address the challenges of urban air pollution. These recommendations serve as potential input for the government and stakeholders to strengthen air pollution control efforts at the Grha Ali Sadikin Building, DKI Jakarta Provincial Hall Complex, on Thursday (3/9).

The Director of the Bakti Barito Foundation, Dian A. Purbasari, acting as one of the judges, also appreciated the competition’s approach, which encourages students to produce solutions and innovations based on concrete analytical processes.

“The analytical approach of the students in formulating concrete policy recommendations proves that our younger generation are not merely observers, but innovators ready to provide real contributions to the future of clean air in Indonesia,” said Dian.

In the competition, Team Duarr from the State Finance Polytechnic STAN (PKN STAN) secured 1st Place with the idea “Dual Track Decarbonisation: Arranging Incentives and Disincentives for Air Pollution Control in Jabodetabek”.

The team addressed the challenge of air pollution control, which has relied heavily on regulation without adequate support from incentives and financing mechanisms, by proposing a combination of fiscal incentives and disincentives to strengthen emission control in the Jabodetabek area.

Meanwhile, Team APPA from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) won 2nd Place with the recommendation “Data-Based Industrial Emission Control and Spatial Planning in the Bandung Basin”, which addressed the issue of pollutant accumulation in the Bandung Basin, partly caused by industrial emissions trapped by the basin’s topographical conditions.