WALHI Urges New Environment Minister to Review Environmental Permits

Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) is calling for a significant overhaul of environmental policy under the new Minister of Environment and Forestry, Jumhur Hidayat. As reported by Tempo, WALHI's Executive Director, Boy Even Sembiring, stresses that the ministry's primary tasks should be a comprehensive review of existing environmental permits and an immediate halt to the issuance of new ones.

“

Instead of carrying out a comprehensive correction, the Ministry of Environment under Hanif Faisol has simplified environmental issues by only focusing on waste issues and other examples by reissuing environmental permits in Dairi Regency which had previously been canceled by the Supreme Court.

WALHI criticizes the approach of the previous minister, Hanif Faisol, who they claim oversimplified environmental issues by focusing narrowly on waste management and reissuing permits that had already been invalidated by the Supreme Court. This, WALHI argues, fails to address the root causes of environmental destruction, which often stem from weak implementation and oversight rather than a lack of regulations. The organization points to ecological disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra as stark examples of failed oversight, even after the government revoked 28 business permits.

“

The current minister must clearly improve the use of his authority to evaluate all environmental permits and at the same time not approve new environmental documents for various extractive industry investments.

From an Indonesian perspective, the fight for environmental protection is intrinsically linked to the struggle against extractive industries and destructive infrastructure projects that threaten vital ecosystems. WALHI insists that a change in minister is insufficient without a fundamental policy correction, specifically advocating for the revision of the Job Creation Law (UU Cipta Kerja) which they believe has weakened environmental protections. They argue that restoring key provisions of the Environmental Protection and Management Law (UU PPLH) is crucial.

“

Stricter oversight must also be prioritized by the new minister to ensure that repeated violations no longer occur.

Furthermore, WALHI demands robust protection for environmental activists, citing Article 66 of the UU PPLH. The organization urges the new minister to actively speak out against repressive actions and criminalization of communities defending their environment. This call for protection is vital given the widespread issues of pollution, declining environmental carrying capacity, and poor waste management that communities across Indonesia face. WALHI believes the new minister must be a strong advocate for environmental justice and hold corporations accountable.

“

The change of minister will not solve the problem without fundamental corrections to policies such as the Job Creation Law.