Climate Change and Energy in the Indonesian Mind

The report presents findings from a nationally representative survey of 2,000 Indonesian adults conducted in 2025. While 73% of respondents report knowing little to nothing about climate change, 86% believe it is happening after receiving a definition. There is strong public support for clean energy policies, including a 79% favorability rate for banning new coal plants and an 83% support rate for the government's 2060 net-zero commitment. However, a gap exists between personal concern (88%) and actual engagement, with very few respondents having taken political action to address the issue.

• When provided with a definition of climate change, 86% of Indonesians believe it is happening, and 65% attribute it primarily to human activities.
• Indonesians correctly identify deforestation (90%), petrol/diesel vehicles (86%), and coal/gas power plants (77%) as causes of climate change, but frequently hold misconceptions, with 84% citing littering and 71% citing the ozone hole as causes. Additionally, 73% attribute it to "God019s will (Kehendak Tuhan)."
• Public concern is high, with 83% of Indonesians worried about climate change and 77% believing it will harm people in Indonesia, though only 29% believe harm is occurring "right now."
• Indonesians strongly favor clean energy transitions, including 89% supporting 100% renewable electricity by 2040 and 79% favoring a ban on new coal plants and the closure of existing ones in favor of solar and wind.
• Regarding biofuel production, 65% of Indonesians believe it should be increased by "intensifying the use of existing farmland," while only 8% support cutting down more forests.
• Among Indonesian Muslims, 79% support the use of Islamic charities—including zakat, infaq, sedekah, and wakaf—to fund the national transition to renewable energy.
• Despite 88% of Indonesians stating that climate change is personally important, there is low active engagement; for example, only 13% have donated to an environmental group and only 4% have contacted a government official.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2025). Climate Change and Energy in the Indonesian Mind. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-and-energy-in-the-indonesian-mind-b.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Climate Change and Energy in the Indonesian Mind. 2025. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-and-energy-in-the-indonesian-mind-b.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Climate Change and Energy in the Indonesian Mind |date=2025 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-and-energy-in-the-indonesian-mind-b.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2025climate, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Climate Change and Energy in the Indonesian Mind}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2025}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2025/12/climate-change-and-energy-in-the-indonesian-mind-b.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }