Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH) has emphasized that environmental protection requires more than technical policies and law enforcement, highlighting the importance of moral and spiritual values through a movement of ecological conversion. The ministry conveyed the message during a meeting with Gerakan Siaga Bumi and the Indonesia chapter of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (IRI), led by Din Syamsuddin, at the KLH/BPLH office in Jakarta on June 12.
Environment Minister and Head of BPLH Moh Jumhur Hidayat stated that addressing environmental degradation and the escalating global ecological crisis requires the participation of all sectors of society, including religious communities that play a significant role in shaping public awareness and behavior.
He said religious teachings provide a strong ethical foundation to encourage people to adopt environmentally responsible practices and to preserve nature for future generations.
According to Jumhur, the ministry is currently strengthening climate justice measures, environmental education programs, law enforcement, and green economic development. He stressed that religious leaders can help broaden environmental awareness campaigns and reach communities more effectively.
Din Syamsuddin, chairman of the advisory board of Gerakan Siaga Bumi and IRI Indonesia, described the interfaith initiative as a moral responsibility shared by followers of different religions in responding to environmental challenges. He said all faith traditions uphold values of goodness and stewardship toward nature, making interreligious cooperation a powerful force for social change.
He explained that the movement will translate its principles into practical actions, including improving environmental management at houses of worship, promoting water conservation, reducing waste generation, and conducting public campaigns based on religious values familiar to everyday life.
Support for the initiative has also emerged from various religious institutions across Indonesia. The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has encouraged stronger environmental ethics among Muslim communities through eco-mosque programs and community-based waste management initiatives. Protestant and Catholic organizations, including the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) and Catholic networks, have likewise advanced environmentally friendly worship facilities by promoting plastic reduction, waste management, and efficient use of natural resources.
The ministry noted that these initiatives demonstrate how faith-based environmental awareness has become an important component of civil society efforts supporting sustainable development goals.
KLH/BPLH views stronger interfaith cooperation through ecological conversion as a key strategy for accelerating behavioral change. The ministry considers environmental degradation not only as a technical challenge but also as a moral and spiritual call for humanity to restore harmony with nature.
Looking ahead, the ministry aims to expand collaboration among government institutions, religious leaders, and communities through concrete activities such as tree planting, river clean-up campaigns, waste reduction at the source, and community-based environmental education. Officials expressed optimism that the ecological conversion movement could foster a new awareness that caring for the planet represents both an act of faith and a manifestation of humanity’s responsibility toward God’s creation. (*)
