Bali, Indonesia – July 6, 2024– New Energy Nexus (NEX) Indonesia is proud to host the Bali Matangi Public Policy Workshop titled “Mendorong Kebijakan Transisi di Bali untuk Masa Depan Berkelanjutan” This workshop aims to empower young individuals in Bali to actively participate in shaping the policies driving Bali’s to reach its Net Zero Emission (NZE) Goals. As Bali targets Net Zero Emissions by 2045, the engagement and leadership of the next generation are crucial for ensuring a sustainable and inclusive transition.

50  young people joining 66% of the participants in the workshop are women. Since its pilot, the program has engaged over 734 people, including young people and women, equipping them with a thorough understanding of entrepreneurship and policymaking in clean energy and climate innovation.

Ida Bagus Setiawan, Head of the Bali Department of Labor, Energy Transition, and Mineral Resources and speaks  at the workshop, highlighting the Bali’s energy plan and its challenges ahead: “There are several challenges we need to overcome to achieve Bali NZE, including enhancing human resource capacity, inadequate infrastructure and ecosystems, supportive policies that encourage clean energy development, and high-investment clean energy projects. Therefore,I support Matangi Bali Initiative capacity building programs for young people, as they will be Bali’s next generation who can create climate-oriented policies and innovations.”

At the workshop, M. Haiqal Rizaldi, Green Infrastructure Financing Specialist at WRI, highlighted the significance of understanding analysis and identify existing policies to form policy recommendations, “policy-making should be grounded in the principles of inclusivity and sustainability. Every step must ensure the inclusion of all groups, including youth. It is essential for them to understand how to identify and analyze issues, particularly in energy policy, so they can offer concrete, scientifically-based solutions for policymakers to adopt.

Enda Grimonia, Policy Analysis Manager at NEX Indonesia, emphasized the importance of youth engagement in policy-making: “The future of Indonesia’s energy transition lies in the hands of its youth. By equipping them with the knowledge and tools to influence policy, we are not only investing in their future but also in the future of our planet.” 

As one of Bali’s NZE initiatives, the program focuses on empowering young people through innovative solutions. Local partners such as Himpunan Mahasiswa LSPR, the Society of Renewable Energy at Universitas Udayana, UKM Kewirausahaan at Universitas Pendidikan Nasional, and Social Project Bali have been instrumental in driving the program’s success. The support from Bali Provincial Government has been pivotal in ensuring the program’s effectiveness.

Yudi, one of the young participants, expressed his enthusiasm for attending the workshop. “It’s really interesting to learn about the regulatory landscape for net zero emissions in Bali, and to meet supportive participants from diverse backgrounds. With this event, we gain the latest information on the climate sector in Bali, both from practitioners and regulators,” said Yudi, a 25-year-old, public policy workshop participant.

This program aims to empower young individuals to actively participate in shaping Bali’s energy transition policies.  As the next generation of leaders, young people play a pivotal role in propelling Indonesia’s energy transition forward. The policy workshop in Bali is also part of a series of workshops held in six cities under the NEX STEP XChange – Sustainable Energy Policy XChange.