Jakarta — Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia held a focused discussion titled “GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) Gap Analysis in Energy Policy” on 2 April 2026. The hybrid event, held at the PWYP Indonesia office in South Jakarta, brought together dozens of civil society organizations from various regions and backgrounds, including labor unions, legal aid institutions, women’s organizations, disability groups, and energy transition activists.
This discussion forms part of PWYP Indonesia’s ongoing research series on GEDSI gap analysis in energy policy, particularly the National Energy Policy (KEN). The government has established the latest KEN through Government Regulation (PP) Number 40 of 2025 concerning the National Energy Policy.
Head of the Research and Advocacy Division at PWYP Indonesia, Mouna Wasef, explained that the activity aims to identify issues, challenges, and gaps in implementing GEDSI principles in the energy sector. The forum also serves as a platform for gathering input from various stakeholders to promote more inclusive energy policies, particularly in implementing KEN and its derivative policies, such as the National Energy General Plan (RUEN).
“The results of this discussion are expected to strengthen inclusive and equitable energy policies,” said Mouna.
Based on PWYP Indonesia’s preliminary analysis, the integration of inclusion principles in PP Number 40 of 2025 remains normative and has not yet been translated into concrete implementation mechanisms. The policy is considered not to explicitly recognize the specific needs of women, who are the primary users of household energy. Moreover, there are no inclusive participation mechanisms for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and indigenous communities. KEN also has not established indicators or obligations for collecting gender- and disability-disaggregated data.
In the discussion, Syaharani, Climate and Energy Policy Strategist at Greenpeace Indonesia, highlighted the decline in the ambition of energy transition targets in the latest KEN. According to her, this situation will have a direct impact on coastal communities, farmers, and other vulnerable groups who have been most affected by climate change, despite their relatively small contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
She also noted that the direction of national energy policy still shows dependence on the forestry and land sector. KEN is seen as requiring forests as carbon sinks, yet it continues to promote policies that could increase pressure on forests and land, such as biomass development and co-firing. Additionally, the B50 biodiesel target for 2030 is estimated to require converting 4.85 to 8.55 million hectares of land.
According to Syaharani, the revision of RUEN following changes to KEN presents an opportunity to raise renewable energy targets. One way is to incorporate ongoing energy transition programs, such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), and to develop 100 GW of solar power plants (PLTS).
“RUEN needs to establish strict criteria for land-based energy utilization to minimize cross-sectoral cumulative impacts from bioenergy development. Furthermore, RUEN must affirm strategies for reducing fossil energy and ensure inclusive community participation in the development and utilization of renewable energy,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Co-Director of SRI Institute, Herni Ramdlaningrum, emphasized that from a GEDSI perspective, KEN still tends to be gender-blind and lacks a clear accessibility mandate. According to her, the concept of justice in the policy remains at a normative level, without being operationalized through disaggregated data or inclusive participation mechanisms.
Herni views the integration of GEDSI into energy transition policies as essential to realizing a just energy transition. Without this perspective, the energy transition risks widening social inequalities.
“This PP on KEN fails to recognize women as the primary users and managers of energy in the family,” she stated.
In closing, Herni stressed the importance of recalibrating the meaning of justice in national energy policy. According to her, energy access is not merely about technical provision but also about redistributing power relations to create a truly sustainable and inclusive future. Therefore, PP Number 40 of 2025 requires implementing regulations that can explicitly dismantle structural barriers related to GEDSI.
Writer: Ariyansah NK
Editor: Mouna Wasef