Jakarta—A new report from the Global Methane Hub reveals Indonesians’ high awareness of climate change issues. The report said that nine out of ten Indonesians expressed strong support for efforts to address the climate crisis, including actions to reduce methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.
The survey, which involved respondents from 17 countries, showed that 91 per cent of Indonesians support climate change mitigation policies, while 89 per cent express explicit support for efforts to control methane emissions.
Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub, in an official statement on Tuesday, 6 May, said this figure reflects the high awareness and urgency felt by Indonesians towards the threat of the climate crisis.
Indonesia at the top of global climate action support
The survey also revealed that 98 per cent of Indonesian respondents believe that climate change is happening, and 81 per cent of them realise that human activity is the main cause. Indonesia tops the list of countries with the highest level of trust and support for climate issues, surpassing developed countries such as the United States, France and Germany.
Mena said that in Indonesia, climate change is not an issue of the future; people are already feeling it today. The report said that five out of ten people say they have experienced the impacts first-hand.
These impacts include rising temperatures, more frequent flooding, and reduced crop yields. This reality has prompted Indonesians to support ambitious and urgent measures from both the government and the private sector.
One of the main sectors contributing to methane emissions in Indonesia is organic waste management. David Sutasurya, Executive Director of the Bioscience and Biotechnology Development Foundation (YPBB), said the importance of community support as a basis for strengthening policies.
“This finding should drive the government to strengthen the national mandate, especially in organic waste management. Separate collection and decentralised processing are crucial,” David explained.
He added that this momentum is in line with the plan to close 343 out of a total of 550 open dumping landfills currently active in Indonesia. David also encouraged the inclusion of methane emission reduction targets in the next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document.
“The climate crisis is a global challenge, and methane reduction could be Indonesia’s quick contribution to cooling the planet,” he said.
The survey involved countries such as Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. Overall, 82 per cent of global respondents expressed support for methane emission reduction policies.
With Indonesia’s prominent position, Marcelo Mena said that the country, along with the Philippines and Pakistan, has an important role to play in pushing Asia to become a global leader in methane pollution control. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2025)
