Communication and Awareness Strategies: Raising awareness about the health impacts of coal in Indonesia – Examples from India and China

The document analyzes how public outcry driven by health-focused communication strategies in India and China led to government action against air pollution. It highlights the role of medical professionals, data transparency, and creative arts in mobilizing civil society. The brief argues that Indonesia, which continues to expand coal power despite high rates of non-communicable diseases, can benefit from similar approaches to pressure its government to shift toward renewable energy.

• In India, high levels of air pollution have led to severe health crises, with an estimated 1.2 million deaths caused by air pollution in 2017. Research by the Centre for Science and Environment in 2015 revealed that 55 per cent of Indian coal power plants violated air pollution standards.
• Indian awareness campaigns have effectively used the medical community to validate health risks. The 'Doctors for Clean Air' campaign involved 12 medical associations representing over 150,000 health specialists pledging to advocate for better air quality.
• Creative and visual communication tools in India have been used to make invisible pollution tangible, such as installing a white artificial lung in New Delhi that turned black within 48 hours, and a Guinness World Record attempt where over 5,000 children formed a human image of a healthy lung.
• China's transition away from coal was accelerated by public outcry following an 'airpocalypse' in 2013. This led the government to strengthen pollution standards, shut down smaller coal plants, and move toward renewable energy, resulting in Beijing having its 'bluest sky in a decade' in August 2018.
• Data transparency and digital tools in China have empowered citizens to pressure the government. The Blue Map app allows users to inspect emissions from 9,000 polluting companies and share this data on Weibo to tag responsible agencies.
• In China, investigative media and art have played critical roles in awareness. The documentary 'Under the Dome' reached over 100 million views in less than 48 hours before being removed by the government, and artists like 'Nut Brother' created building blocks from vacuumed smog.
• Indonesia faces a significant health risk from its continued coal expansion, with 1.3 million deaths from non-communicable diseases in 2015. Despite this, coal is projected to account for 54 per cent of electricity production in the 2019–2028 Electricity Procurement Plan (RUPTL).

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2019). Communication and Awareness Strategies: Raising awareness about the health impacts of coal in Indonesia – Examples from India and China. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/communications-strategies-indonesia-health-india-china.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Communication and Awareness Strategies: Raising awareness about the health impacts of coal in Indonesia – Examples from India and China. 2019. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/communications-strategies-indonesia-health-india-china.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Communication and Awareness Strategies: Raising awareness about the health impacts of coal in Indonesia – Examples from India and China |date=April 2019 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/communications-strategies-indonesia-health-india-china.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2019communication, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Communication and Awareness Strategies: Raising awareness about the health impacts of coal in Indonesia – Examples from India and China}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-11/communications-strategies-indonesia-health-india-china.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }