Bappenas Minister pushes for new green job criteria in Indonesia

Rachmat Pambudy, the Minister of National Development Planning and Head of Bappenas, is advocating for the prioritization of ‘green jobs’ to drive Indonesia’s future workforce and combat climate change. Speaking at the Indonesia Green Jobs Conference (IGJC) 2026 in Jakarta, Pambudy emphasized that failing to transition to environmentally friendly employment could exacerbate global warming, leading to severe consequences such as forest fires, melting polar ice, and rising sea levels.

To achieve this, Bappenas aims to redefine green job criteria to better reflect Indonesia’s specific environmental and economic conditions. Pambudy proposed that new indicators should consider factors such as low carbon emissions, minimal water consumption, and efficient energy use. He specifically noted that sectors like agriculture, forestry, and fisheries already contain elements of green jobs.

The Minister also called for the development of domestic classifications to ensure Indonesia is not ‘dictated’ by international organizations or other countries. He urged the Ministry of Manpower and relevant stakeholders to establish these new criteria to serve as a reference for national labor policies and international cooperation.