Kuala Lumpur – On May 24-25, 2025, Aryanto Nugroho, Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, participated in the ASEAN Peoples @ASEAN2025 event themed “Our ASEAN, Peoples at the Core” in Kuala Lumpur. The event brought together representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), human rights defenders, youth leaders, scholars, and pro-democracy advocates from across Southeast Asia. It represented a collaborative effort by civil society to meaningfully engage with the ASEAN 2025 agenda, focusing on inclusivity, sustainability, and reform. The breadth and quality of discussions during the event reflected a strong, unified call for a region that upholds human rights, democratic values, and the dignity of all people across Southeast Asia.
At ASEAN Peoples @ASEAN2025, Aryanto participated in a workshop titled “Strengthening Labour Unions on Gender-Responsive Just Energy Transition” organized by Klima Action Malaysia (KAMY) and Asia Feminist Coalition (AFC), as well as a Roundtable Discussion on “Effective Whistleblowing to Combat Transnational Environmental Crimes in ASEAN” by the South East Asia Anti-Corruption Network (SEA-ACN) and Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center), as part of the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum 2025.
Aryanto served as a resource person in the workshop session “Strengthening Labour Unions on Gender-Responsive Just Energy Transition,” which brought together 36 participants from 9 ASEAN and South Asian countries, representing 25 organizations working on climate justice, labor rights, feminist advocacy, and energy transition. The workshop aimed to introduce the concept of a Gender-Responsive Just Energy Transition (JET), create a space for participants to share experiences, and identify challenges and opportunities for collaboration among labor unions and civil society organizations in ASEAN.
“Energy transition is not just about shifting from fossil fuels to renewables. It is a political, economic, and social transformation that must be inclusive and just,” said Aryanto Nugroho.
Challenges and Opportunities in Energy Transition
Aryanto highlighted the impacts of the energy transition across the energy value chain, from extraction to waste management. In regions like South Sumatra and East Kalimantan, the decline in coal dependency has led to reduced local revenues and increased poverty. Meanwhile, nickel mining in Sulawesi for electric vehicle needs has caused environmental degradation, cultural displacement, and geopolitical tensions.
PWYP Indonesia also criticized international financing mechanisms like the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), which are largely loan-based. “Why should developing countries bear the financial burden for a global transition driven by the consumption patterns of wealthy nations?” Aryanto questioned.
Through the Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) framework, PWYP Indonesia advocates for an energy transition centered on distributive, recognitional, procedural, and restorative justice. In West Nusa Tenggara, PWYP is piloting GEDSI monitoring tools for micro-hydro, geothermal, and biomass projects, ensuring inclusivity is applied in practice.
The workshop resulted in commitments to strengthen advocacy capacity for vulnerable groups, document the experiences of women and informal workers, and develop relevant regional resources. “The energy transition must be transparent, accountable, and involve those who have long been marginalized,” Aryanto emphasized.