The transition toward a sustainable energy future is often discussed in terms of billions of dollars and gigawatts of power. However, for Indonesia, the "Just Energy Transition" (JET) is fundamentally a human story. It is a story unfolding in the coal fields of Kutai Kartanegara and the nickel processing hubs of Morowali.
In early 2025, the Swaniti Global Initiative (SGI) and Penabulu Foundation commissioned a joint research study to examine the financial and regulatory architecture of this transition. The findings were stark: while the investment need is estimated at USD 381 billion, a significant gap remains between national-level financing and the local communities that will bear the brunt of these economic shifts.
This report is the culmination of a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) designed to bridge that gap. Having identified that the State Budget (APBN) and Subnational Budgets (APBD) are primarily geared toward creating an "enabling environment" for large-scale private investment, we gathered to ask a critical question: Where does this leave the local institutions and the people?
