*) This English version is an interpretation of the original Indonesian version. If there are any differences in words or sentences, please refer to the Indonesian version
September 15, 2025
Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr. TANAKA Akihiko, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
PETITION: A Call for the Immediate Termination of JICA’s Promotion of “False Solutions” through its Support for the Non-Transparent “Master Plan for Energy Transition Management Project in Indonesia” — Meaningful Participation of Local Communities and Civil Society is Essential for a Just and Equitable Energy Transition
We, the undersigned, are civil society organizations in Indonesia working on issues related to energy, climate, environment, and human rights. We have repeatedly urged the Government of Japan not to promote “false solutions” in Indonesia under the guise of energy transition or decarbonization.
In particular, with regard to the “Master Plan for Energy Transition Management Project in Indonesia” (hereinafter referred to as "the Project") led by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), we have mentioned in our letters to the Government of Japan in December 2023 [1] and August 2024 [2]. In these letters, we expressed serious concerns about the agreement [3] made between JICA and Indonesia’s state-owned electricity company, PLN, in August 2023. The agreement promotes technologies such as CCUS, hydrogen, ammonia, biomass, and LNG, which, rather than facilitating a genuine transition, risk prolonging the use of fossil fuels under the name of “energy transition.” We have therefore called for the immediate cessation of any support that may impose such “false solutions” on Indonesia.
Throughout this period, we have remained attentive to the progress of the Project; however, the only information we have been able to obtain is that four companies—JERA Co., Inc., TEPCO Power Grid, Inc., Tokyo Electric Power Services Co., Ltd. (TEPSCO), and Mitsubishi Research Institute, Inc.—commenced the Project in February 2024 as a commissioned undertaking by JICA[4].
It was only recently, following an inquiry made by a Japanese civil society organization, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Japan, which has been working with us on energy transition issues in Indonesia, that we discovered that a stakeholder meeting related to the Project had already been conducted in July 2024, and that a public comment period was held from January 15 to 30, 2025.
Given that we have conveyed our concerns and requests regarding the Project to the Government of Japan both prior to and during its implementation, it is evident that we, as civil society organizations, are key stakeholders with a strong and legitimate interest in the issue of energy transition in Indonesia.
Nevertheless, it is deeply regrettable that multiple civil society organizations, including ourselves, were not informed of the aforementioned stakeholder meeting or the public comment period, and were thus deprived of the opportunity to voice our perspectives. This raises serious questions as to whether JICA and other parties involved in the Project are genuinely committed to meaningfully reflecting the diverse views of civil society in the Project’s planning and implementation.
We strongly protest the fact that critical decisions concerning energy transition—decisions that will have far-reaching impacts on the lives, cultures, safety, environment, and human rights of communities and citizens across Indonesia—are being made in such a non-transparent and exclusionary manner.
According to the aforementioned agreement between JICA and PLN (dated August 2023)5, the duration of the Project is set at two years. Based on this, it is presumed that the “Master Plan,” which constitutes the main output of the Project, is expected to be completed around February 2026. In light of this timeline, we are compelled to ask: Will JICA continue to support the development of this Master Plan over the next six months through a non-transparent and undemocratic process?
If ever JICA still intends to proceed with the Project, the first step must be a thorough assessment of whether the methods used by JICA and other relevant parties to disseminate information to civil society and local communities were appropriate and sufficient. Following such an assessment, and in order to ensure that the views of local communities and civil society are meaningfully reflected in the Master Plan, we strongly urge that the planning process— including stakeholder meetings related to the Project—be restarted from the beginning.
As we have reiterated in previous petitions submitted to the Government of Japan, a rapid, just, and equitable decarbonization and energy transition must be carried out in a manner that ensures the meaningful participation of local communities and civil society organizations. To achieve this, appropriate and sufficient transparency and disclosure of information to these stakeholders is essential.
We once again urge JICA to sincerely listen to the voices of local communities —who have been adversely affected by undemocratic and unsustainable energy projects in the past— and civil society organizations and to take appropriate action in the implementation of this Project. This includes, but is not limited to, our repeated calls to put an end to the promotion of false climate solutions such as CCUS, hydrogen, ammonia, biomass, and LNG, which serve only to prolong the use of fossil fuels and cause destruction to the environment and livelihoods of local communities.
Signatories:
1. Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI/Friends of the Earth Indonesia)
2. 350 Indonesia
3. Aksi Ekologi & Emansipasi Rakyat (AEER)
4. Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS)
5. Jaringan Advokasi Tambang (JATAM)
6. Trend Asia
Download the document using English, Japanese and Indonesian Language through here.
Contact:
Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI/Friends of the Earth Indonesia) Address: Jl. Tegal Parang Utara No 14, Jakarta Selatan 12790. INDONESIA Email: [email protected]
Tel: +62-21-79193363
Footnote
[1] https://foejapan.org/en/issue/20231215/15486/
[2] https://www.walhi.or.id/petisi-koalisi-masyarakat-sipil-indonesia-terhadap-asia-zero-emission-community-azec
[3] https://www.jica.go.jp/Resource/english/our_work/social_environmental/id/asia/southeast/indonesia/pj8nfn000000og 6h-att/report_02.pdf
[4] https://www.jera.co.jp/en/news/information/20240219_1818
[5] Sama seperti footnote nomor 3
