Greenpeace Indonesia has called on the government of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka to strengthen its response to the climate crisis, warning that extreme weather and ecological disasters are placing additional pressure on household finances and workers’ livelihoods.
The environmental organisation staged a peaceful protest at the Selamat Datang Monument in Bundaran Hotel Indonesia (HI), Central Jakarta, on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, marking the administration’s second anniversary.
Activists displayed two large banners bearing the messages “Address the Climate Crisis, Lower the Cost of Living” and “Disasters Are Worsening, Life Is Getting Harder, What Is the Government Doing?”
The demonstration followed the release of Greenpeace Indonesia’s report, Besok Harga Naik! Gambaran Dampak Krisis Iklim dari Tempat Kerja, Meja Makan, dan Rumah (Tomorrow, Prices Will Rise! The Impact of the Climate Crisis on Workplaces, Dining Tables and Homes).
Greenpeace Report Highlights Pressure on Household Finances
The report examines how climate-related impacts affect eight groups of people across three urban agglomerations in Java: Greater Jakarta, the Bandung Basin and Greater Yogyakarta.
According to Greenpeace, 41 per cent of respondents identified food consumption and food costs as areas affected by the climate crisis, while 39 per cent reported impacts on productivity and income. Another 20 per cent experienced effects on housing access and transport costs.
The organisation said fishermen and gig workers, including online motorcycle taxi drivers and freelancers, were among those most affected by environmental disruption and economic uncertainty.
Jeanny Sirait, Greenpeace Indonesia’s Climate Justice Campaigner, said extreme weather and ecological disasters threatened public health and safety while disrupting livelihoods, reducing incomes and contributing to higher food prices.
“Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue; it is also an economic issue,” Greenpeace’s findings indicate, with households facing mounting pressure to meet basic needs.
The report also documented how people were adapting to these pressures. Some 57.34 per cent of respondents said they had reduced non-essential spending, while 56.79 per cent had taken on additional work or started new businesses to supplement their income.
Greenpeace argued that these responses demonstrated household resilience but also showed how much responsibility for adapting to the crisis was falling on individuals and families.
Six Greenpeace Activists Released After Police Medical Assessment
Six Greenpeace Indonesia activists who displayed the banners at Bundaran HI were subsequently taken to Polda Metro Jaya for medical attention and questioning about the incident, according to reports by CNN Indonesia and other Indonesian media.
The activists were evacuated from the monument with assistance from the police, military personnel and Jakarta’s disaster response teams. One female activist reportedly appeared weak after descending and was taken for medical attention.
On 21 October, Polda Metro Jaya said the six activists had not been arrested. Police spokesperson Budi Hermanto explained that they had been taken for medical assistance because they were experiencing weakness and dizziness after climbing the monument.
The activists were accompanied by legal representatives and later returned home. According to reporting by CNN Indonesia, they had been released after undergoing police procedures.
