Talking Indonesia: Plastics Pollution

At the Environment and Climate Ministerial Meeting of the G20 nations in Bali last month, the Indonesian Minister for Forestry and the Environment Siti Nurbaya Bakar called on the G20 members to work together to bring down the global temperature to address the climate crisis. Despite these strong statements, Indonesian environmental groups have been highly critical of the government’s ongoing support for fossil fuel extraction and high rates of deforestation.

Beyond these high-level meetings, what is happening at the grassroots level in Indonesia in response to the climate crisis and the environmental emergencies that communities face every day? Will “green” issues feature in the 2024 elections? What, or who, has the power to drive real change on environmental issues in Indonesia?

In this podcast episode produced by NYSEAN partner Talking Indonesia, Dr. Jemma Purdey chats with Ewa Wojkowska, co-founder and chief operating officer of Bali-based NGO Kopernik, and Gede Robi, social activist, research consultant, and member of rock band Navicula. Together they are the producers of the documentary film Pulau Plastik, now screening on Netflix, and a podcast about Navicula’s activism and music, A Soundtrack of Resistance.