Zulhas: Indonesia Faces Waste Emergency That Must Be Addressed Immediately

The Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas), stated that the Indonesian government is continuously striving to address the waste problem. This is due to the fact that waste issues in Indonesia have reached an emergency category and require immediate resolution.

To address this, Zulhas continues to encourage green investment, particularly in waste management. He disclosed this in front of more than 20 CEOs during the High Level and CEO Forum on Low-Emission Rice and Sustainable Agriculture, held as part of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and NY Climate Week 2026 in New York, United States, recently.

“Indonesia faces a waste emergency that must be addressed immediately, one way being through waste-to-energy,” said Zulhas in a written statement on Wednesday (30/09/2026).

During the event, Zulhas also presented green investment opportunities in three sectors: food through the development of low-emission rice, waste through the processing of economically valuable waste, and marine through the development of blue carbon. He also invited global business players to explore projects that can contribute to meeting Indonesia’s climate action financing needs while providing benefits to the community.

“This step is part of the government’s efforts to bridge the gap between climate action financing needs and projects that can be implemented on the ground. Indonesia requires partnerships that support emission reductions while simultaneously increasing food production, benefiting farmers and fishermen, and resolving waste issues,” he concluded.