Enviro News Asia, Medan — Indonesia’s Environment Minister and Head of the Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), Moh Jumhur Hidayat, has called for a nationwide “Ecological Repentance” movement to accelerate environmental restoration while strengthening law enforcement and creating green jobs.
Jumhur made the call after inaugurating an agroforestry experimental garden at the Faculty of Agriculture of the Islamic University of North Sumatra (UISU) in Medan on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
The agroforestry garden was established as part of UISU’s green endowment initiative and is intended to serve as a learning space and a site for ecological restoration. The initiative reflects the principles of the National Ecological Repentance Movement, which promotes environmental recovery through greater public awareness, moral responsibility, law enforcement, and economic opportunities.
Explaining the concept, Jumhur said ecological repentance begins with acknowledging past environmental damage, committing not to repeat it, and taking concrete steps to restore nature.
“In environmental terms, ecological repentance means that after acknowledging our mistakes, we restore the natural environment,” Jumhur told reporters following the inauguration.
The Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Control Agency are developing restoration measures through several approaches, including strengthening environmental awareness, promoting responsible behavior, and providing supporting infrastructure.
One priority is reducing littering and plastic pollution. The government plans to intensify public campaigns against improper waste disposal while expanding waste collection and sorting facilities.
Jumhur said public restrictions on dumping waste must be accompanied by adequate infrastructure so people have practical alternatives for disposing of and sorting their waste.
“Campaigns must be accompanied by the provision of waste disposal and waste-sorting facilities. If people are prohibited from dumping waste into rivers, there must be places where they can dispose of it,” he said.
The government also plans to encourage sustainable financing through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Under the approach, producers of packaged goods would contribute funding to help manage plastic waste generated by their products.
Jumhur highlighted the scale of plastic packaging production in Indonesia, noting that a single instant noodle producer could manufacture up to 20 billion packages annually, while thousands of factories produce goods that generate plastic waste.
He said even a small contribution of IDR 5 or IDR 10 per product could generate substantial funding for waste management and environmental restoration.
According to Jumhur, the funds would not be directly managed by the government but organized by producers themselves, including at the local level, with regulations from KLH/BPLH encouraging companies to fulfill their environmental responsibilities.
“This is one example of how regulations can encourage ecological repentance,” Jumhur said.
Firm Action Against Environmental Violations
Environmental justice is another key pillar of the Ecological Repentance Movement.
Jumhur stressed that corporations must not generate wealth at the expense of communities or the environment by improperly disposing of waste or failing to fulfill reclamation obligations following mining activities.
“One part of the Ecological Repentance Movement is using the legal authority we have to require them to provide funding that is rightfully owed to the earth, the environment, and communities for restoration,” he said.
The government expects environmental restoration and reclamation programs to generate broader economic benefits by creating employment opportunities.
Jumhur said universities, civil society organizations, religious organizations, and other groups would be encouraged to participate in ecological restoration activities.
He said further details of the national movement and its implementation mechanisms are expected to be announced within the next one to two months.
The government sees the Ecological Repentance Movement as an effort to combine environmental responsibility, stronger enforcement, community participation, and economic opportunities to accelerate Indonesia’s transition toward a greener and more sustainable economy. (*)
