Wiryomartono 2015
Wiryomartono 2015
Wiryomartono 2015
Bagoes Wiryomartono
To cite this article: Bagoes Wiryomartono (2015) ‘Green building’ and sustainable development
policy in Indonesia since 2004, International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and
Urban Development, 6:2, 82-89, DOI: 10.1080/2093761X.2015.1025450
Article views: 19
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International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development, 2015
Vol. 6, No. 2, 82–89, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2093761X.2015.1025450
Since 2004, the Indonesian government has claimed that it is internationally committed to the reduction of carbon emission
and care for global climate change. This paper is a critical study concerning the status of this commitment. The study will
describe, analyse, discuss and examine issues, constraints and opportunities related to green building and the environmental
development policy in Indonesia. This study argues that green building does not have a solid foundation for its regulatory
practice and implementation. This study aims to uncover the reasons why. The focus of the paper is a discussion of the issues
related to green building design in the context of energy policy and practice for environmental development in Indonesia.
Keywords: policy; green building; Indonesia; issues; constraints; opportunities
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The necessity for green performance in Indonesia 9% by 2019. Since 1999 the energy supply from fossil
At the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh (2009), Indonesia duels in the country has decreased, while its domestic
signed the agreement for a 26% reduction of carbon consumption for industry and domestic use has grown;
emissions undertaken by Indonesia unilaterally and up to according to Figure 1, up to 2004 there was likely a need
41% with international assistance by 2020. After the UNO for other sources to be used in order to meet the increasing
Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico (2010), demand of energy in various sectors.
this commitment was followed with the establishment of With reference to the record of the Agency for the
the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), the
Degradation (REED) Task Force in the same year. Indeed, breakdown energy consumption in 2000 is as follows:
the commitment to global climate change would not be 38.8% for residential, 36.5% for industry, 18.2% for
holistic without taking into consideration energy con- transport, 3.8% for other sectors, and 2.7% for
sumption for sustainability. The law No. 30 of 2007 targets commercial. This composition changed in 2011, with
the administration from national to local level for 37.2% for industry, 30.7% for residential, 26.6% for
implementing the policy of energy conservation. The transport, 3.2% for commercial, and 2.4% for other sectors
presidential regulation No. 6 of 2006 requires the usage of [8]. In the context of the built environment, the
sources of energy that contain at least 15% from renewable consumption of energy in the residential sector has
resources. What has not seemingly been paid attention to decreased whilst the consumption in the industry and
for sustainability however is the energy consumption of commercial sectors has slightly increased.
lifestyle that exists in the built environment. The energy for the built environment in Indonesia
The conservation of energy use is now imperative, comprised 78.0% of total energy consumption in 2000 and
most critically because it will reduce the energy 71.10% in 2011. This information is detailed in Tables 1, 2,
consumption of residential and commercial activities. and 3.
In the Indonesian context, the rate for the energy supply
and the increasing ratio for the demand of industry and
domestics from various sources are not in a proportion. Issues, constraints and opportunities
More importantly, according to recent surveys, energy The distribution of energy consumption in 2012 as shown
conservation is a reasonable method because it is more in Figure 3 indicates that the use of non-renewable energy
about lifestyle than actual need [1]. for electricity still dominates the energy consumption of
According to the United States (US) Energy Indonesia. Based on the breakdown of primary energy
Information Agency, the energy consumption in Indonesia consumption in 2012, the supply of renewable energy
grew by 44 % between 2002 and 2012. The median rate of accounts of a significant proportion (27%). In the built
energy demand for electricity of the country is 6% environmental context, the use and consumption of energy
annually, and the consumption is predicted to increase to is mostly for air conditioning systems and lighting.
*Email: bagoes.wiryomartono@gmail.com
q 2015 Taylor & Francis
International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development 83
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Table 1. Estimation of energy consumption for electricity. conditioning, 6.76% for elevators, and 15.48% for lighting
[2]. Environmental and architectural planning and design
1990 2000 2010
Sector in the tropical, humid climate of Indonesia needs to
GWh % GWh % GWh % manage the temperature and humidity to achieve a
satisfactory comfort level in a working environment. In the
Industry 35.305 68 84.822 69 183.389 70
Household 9.865 19 22.239 18 40.789 16 Jakarta area, the average outdoor temperature is between
Public utilities 3.634 7 6.731 6 12.703 5.5 238C and 338C, with average humidity between 75% and
Commercial 3.115 6 8.811 7 21.869 8.5 80% [9]. In the Jakarta area, the instalment and operation
Total 51.919 100 122.603 100.0 258.747 100.0 of air conditioning systems is necessary to maintain a
Source: [6]. comfort level of 26.58C and 60– 70% humidity for a
working environment, which is higher than the American
Table 2. Estimation of sources of electricity supply. Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning
1990 2000 2010 Engineers (ASHRAE) recommended temperature of 248C
Source [3].
of energy GWh % Gwh % Gwh % In order to explore the possibility of green develop-
Coal 1.930 8.8 10.750 28.4 28.050 35.3 ment, building and environmental design needs to comply
Gas 3.530 16.0 7.080 18.7 14.760 21.5 with requirements for energy conservation and the
Petroleum 2.210 10.0 1.950 5.2 0.320 0.5 reduction of material/waste and carbon emission. During
Kerosene 11.020 50.1 9.410 24.8 4.060 5.9 the last term (2009 – 2014), the government of Indonesia
Geothermal 0.170 0.8 0.500 1.3 0.430 0.6
Water 2.850 13.0 7.720 20.4 10.310 15.0 under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono did not make any
Biomass 0.270 1.2 0.290 0.8 0.460 0.7 significant progress in managing and handling the
Others 0.020 0.1 0.160 0.4 0.370 0.5 reduction of carbon emission in the field of the built
(solar & wind) environmental; there are no policies or regulatory tools
Total 22.000 100.0 37.860 100.0 68.760 100.0 that support green development, such as funds and
Source: [6]. institutional resources for the research and development of
affordable renewable energy.
Table 3. Chart of energy demand and supply. The concrete support for the greenship is provided
partly by the provincial government and municipality of
1990 2000 2010 Jakarta, with Governor decree no. 38/2012 [10]. Accord-
Energy demand 51.919 122.603 258.747 ing to the Jakarta Governor’s decree mentioned above,
Energy supply 22 37.86 68.76 Green Building criteria have been integrated as part of the
requirements for building permits of new developments
The distribution of energy consumption for lighting, either buildings or facilities. However, the Jakarta
air conditioning systems and elevators varies depending on greenship regulations have not yet been effective as a
building type, function, location, and design specification. method of energy conservation and sustainable develop-
For an example, based a case study of a hotel found that ment because the scope of its implementation only
the distribution of energy for electricity was 77.76% for air includes new developments, although it is still a
84 B. Wiryomartono
progressive step for the awareness of climate change as a that its source of funding is not a stable income, the future
real challenge for global action. At the policy level, the sustainability of the high-quality operation and pro-
green building regulations have not yet been implemented fessional independency of the council is still in question.
regionally or nationally, so most of the large developments Until now, the authority of the council has not yet been
around Jakarta – Depok, Bekasi, Tangerang and Bogor – legally ratified or integrated with specific building and
are still evolving in a conventional way. The most environmental laws.
challenging issue for the implementation of green building Green building design and development has been an
development is obviously the initial cost, which is at least integral part of the global response to climate change and
8% higher than the conventional approach [11]. the depletion of natural resources. Indonesia, as one of
The Jakarta green building regulations have been most populous countries in the world, is an important part
effectively managed in the developments of office of this global movement towards a sustainable future.
buildings, shopping malls and apartments of more than There three primary factors within green building
50,000 square meters in total area, hotels and health requirements which makes them so vital: health, energy
facilities of more than 20,000 square meters, and saving, and climate change. Firstly, there is a need to
educational facilities of more than 10,000 square meters. provide residents of urban environments with healthier
The objective of the regulations is to reduce energy surroundings, entailing less waste and pollution of the air,
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consumption by 30% and water usage by 20% in water and soil. Secondly, it is important to incentivise the
comparison to conventional designs. Until recently, only use of energy from renewable resources and for water to be
a few commercial buildings have complied with the utilised as efficiently as possible; all this is comprised with
regulations, such as the Bank Central Asia building on Jl. the motto ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’. Thirdly, the
MH Thamrin and the Sampoerna Strategic Square building requirement stipulates an engagement in the global
on Jl. Jend. Sudirman. movement for minimising the risks of climate change
What is still necessary to be done by the national due to CO and CO2 emissions, and other causes such as
government of Indonesia is to implement Jakarta’s excessive exploitation of and encroachment on
greenship requirement system nationwide; the government forestlands.
regulations no. 28/2002, no. 36/2005 and no. 28/2005 do All across the globe, non-government agencies for
not include the greenship requirements. On the other hand, green building accreditation have been established.
what is important is to integrate all building and Canada and the US, along with the Scandinavian countries
environmental development policies within the framework and Germany, are leading in this movement. In Southeast
of green and sustainable development criteria; this Asia, Singapore and Malaysia have established a proficient
integration needs to encompass evidence-based policy body for green building matters. The agency that works to
based on intergovernmental and ministerial coordination, set up the green building requirements in Indonesia was
and cooperation between local, provincial and central established in Jakarta in 2009. Compared with its
government. The obstacles for setting forth the Indonesian neighbouring countries, the Indonesian Green Building
agenda for green and sustainable development are the Council is still in the early stages of its establishment in
availability of appropriate experts and the consistency of terms of facilities, activities, programmes, resources and
leadership. organisation. So far, the council does not have nationwide
At the policy level, the benefits of green building legal support or legitimacy as an authoritative body that
initiatives will not be realised without the support of policy provides building permits and development applications
and regulatory system from the government because its with greenship approval. In many countries, such agencies
certification will not have legal authority; the greenship are fully established and backed by a parliamentary act or
certification should have an environmental impact in terms governmental decree.
of making our local and global environment healthier. Even though Indonesia as a nation state has signed the
In 2008, the initiatives were incorporated into the Kyoto protocols and other international agreements in
establishment of the Green Building Council Indonesia, response to global warming and climate change, ‘green
a non-profit agency. As well as having 50 professionals as building’ as an environmental agenda has not been
its core members, the council is supported by founding integrated into a national government policy or pro-
members consisting of high-profile real-estate developers, gramme. Of course, such a national agenda needs
state-owned companies, building material suppliers and widespread support from various parties and organis-
industry professionals, professional associations and state ations. However, the spearhead of such a political agenda
research agencies. should be the Ministries of Public Works and the Ministry
As an independent institution, the council is run by of Environment, backed by professional associations of
professionals and administrators and funded through architects, planners, and builders.
corporate social responsibility contributions from various The most active agencies for green building are those
companies that stand as founding members [12]. Given in the property and real estate businesses. They use and
International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development 85
abuse the green building as a gimmick – an alluring label for institutions for such professionals are only in existence due
marketing their projects. Selling the soul of environmental to market forces. What are the lawmakers doing so far?
conservation and sustainability for corporate image seems to Most professional associations are not bound by laws or
be a common practice in today’s capitalistic society ([4]; regulation. The only laws which apply to the building
Today’s Facility Manager (2007). Volume 19 page 6). The industry do not regulate the professional rules of conduct
consequences of such actions are obvious for the concept of and its codes. In other words, the professionals are
sustainable development and green building, which are perceived as supporters of the builders or contractors
degraded to mere rhetoric for usage in advertising without having the right to stand up for what they are –
pomposity. Green-ship labeling is often misused and misled experts and artists in their field. In Indonesia today,
by some developers only for marketing gimmick. because professionals for environmental developments are nothing
such labeling has not been regulated by law. but the tools of production for capitalistic venture; they are
Firstly, a strong commitment to fight climate change paid based on the billing rate for their labour, without any
has not been demonstrated; there is a lack of serious respect to their intellectual property, professional integrity
preparation and action for the institutions, systems and or the intrinsic value of their work which cannot be
procedures involved from design and conception through measured by conventional standards.
construction and implementation to operation and The remuneration of experts and specialists is without
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maintenance. The Indonesian government has to date legal protection, and this leads to a corrosive quality in
failed to promote and facilitate infrastructure for a national their services and achievements. Professional associations
agenda for fighting climate change via the usage of a green for architects and designers as well as planners in
building programme, such as passing amendments to the Indonesia are not protected with dedicated laws or acts for
laws and regulations for the construction of public their existence, service to and responsibility for Indonesian
buildings that enables the developers of new projects to society and the nation as a whole. Even though the
obtain a budget for the increased usage of renewable associations have been established for decades, their legal
energy sources. This amendment would make renewable status and authority is weak in terms of setting up
energy developments a viable option – creating new professional fees and expert qualifications. Their expertise
buildings where the increased initial cost is subsidised is actually invaluable for environmental sustainability, but
because its source of energy is not based on the National the political will of the government for granting legal
Agency of Power (PLN) but on solar or wind energy, for powers to these associations is needed.
example. However, the government agency of audit and The practice of green building and sustainable
inspection has continued to work by the book, relying on development is likely impossible without the support of
the taken-for-granted energy resources of the PLN. building industries and its material supply and product
Since energy costs are increasing annually and the distribution. Currently, there is no directive policy for the
stability of supply is likely to become unpredictable, it building industry that works within the framework of
would be prudent to consider the long-term energy environmentally friendly production, distribution and
consumption of at least 15 years of operation when construction. Green normalisation and standards for the
examining which sources are reliable and reasonable in building industry have not yet been established in a
terms of cost and maintenance for new developments. comprehensive way, and there is no system that
Narrow-minded estimation only considers the initial encourages or enforces the use of building materials and
construction cost and does not take into account the cost construction procedures in terms of sustainable develop-
for the long-term operation and maintenance of buildings ment. The current practice of planning and design for
– and this is the current situation for Indonesian public built environmental projects pertains to the various
buildings. The national leaders talk about climate change standards from painting, masonry, carpentry, concrete
and global warming, but without any practical follow work, and so on.
through. It is the time for the government to regulate the The available standards are yet to be modified to
financial system so that loans for buildings which use incorporate the cycle of materials used and produced for
renewable energy sources are made available. In doing so, an environmentally friendly industry. Thus, while most of
the initial energy cost from solar or wind technology is the building industry in Indonesia still focuses on the
made affordable with a long-term loan similar to a production and design of materials, furniture, fixtures, and
mortgage in the property business. Of course, this cannot equipment that works well for energy conservation, there
happen without the political will of government at both the is a lack of concern for the reuse, reduction and recycling
national and regional levels. of products and sites of material supply. The current
Secondly, the guardians of the soul of environmental sourcing of material for glass, metal, wood, tiles and
development such as planners, architects and engineers are fixtures are concentrated in massive and intensive
yet to be legally supported to engage in respectable extraction of raw materials that mostly destroys the
practices. Thus, at present, all training and educational existing habitat and its land resources.
86 B. Wiryomartono
300
250
energy demand
200
150
100
50 energy supply
0
1990 2000 2010
Figure 2. Electricity supply and demand in Indonesia, 1990– 2010. Source: Djojonegoro (1992).
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buildings, as well as national institutions and corporate outlets in public restrooms for the Islamic ablution ritual is
headquarters can afford to implement such technological necessarily considered within the water conservation
advances. The most reasonable way of energy conservation system. Since the use of water for such customs and
is not to simply take advantage of technological innovation traditions is more about culture and lifestyle, water
– by means of specific building materials and construc- conservation in this sense needs to be an integrated part of
tional fabrications – rather, energy conservation should be educational matters, rather than an engineering problem to
achieved and encouraged as an environmentally friendly be solved. Moreover, the way Indonesian people utilise
lifestyle [5]. In Indonesia, the problem is that energy toilets needs to be considered as well; most Indonesians do
conservation is not a well-known topic among adults and not use toilet paper, but water instead. Since the scarcity of
children alike. There is no method in place for educating the clean a water supply is now unavoidable in most urban
younger generations of the importance of environmental areas of Indonesia, increasing awareness of leading a more
factors. A school system is needed that provides early environmentally friendly lifestyle is likely to be a crucial
teaching of environmental awareness and practice in the action for the future of water management.
family and in society as a whole; even in state or Water conservation for the greenship rating
governmental workplaces, environmentally friendly mind requires fixtures and equipment that are fit for purpose.
sets and standards of behaviour have not yet been One important thing is to achieve the standard of less
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implemented. Besides technological innovation, affordable than four litres for a urinal flush and less than six litre for
education on the importance of leading an environmentally a water closet. Until as recently as 2014, there were
friendly lifestyle will help energy efficiency in terms of few products in Indonesia that meet these standards and
sustainable development. are affordable. Designing fixtures for efficient water
conservation does not seem to be a priority for most
manufacturers. Most products on the market are concerned
more about being fashionable and having stylistic
Water conservation (WAC) aesthetics than being designed with water conservation
Water in Indonesia is abundant. However, drinking water in mind.
is a precious resource and not readily available to the
majority of people. Indonesian water policies are among
the worst in the world [13]. Flooding during the monsoon
season is a regular disaster in many urban areas, especially Materials and cycle resources (MRC)
for those who live near river banks and in lowland areas. Material and cycle resources plays an important role in
The problem for water conservation in Indonesia is the greenship rating regarding its relation to reducing
actually to manage and treat water wisely, so that this most waste and CO2 emissions. Producing less garbage is
previous resource is reusable, healthy, safe and affordable. partly down to lifestyle. However, the lifestyle of less
In many residential areas and commercial buildings, the garbage in the domestic and public realm entails the
conservation of water involves dealing with the conserva- selection of building materials and constructional
tion and management of groundwater. The water from resources that are fit and proper for an affordable and
state-owned agencies such as Perusahaan Daerah Air easy recycling process. The criteria of green building for
Minum (PDAM) and other private companies is not building materials is not generally enforced by law in
enough to supply the demand of entire urban areas. Those terms of the industrial standards in Indonesia, such as
who do not have access to drinking water via companies SNI wood, concrete, tiles, etc. The standards are mostly
often engage in the illegal digging and pumping up of for regulating work safety and constructional perform-
groundwater using electric pumps. In Jakarta and other ance that is fit and proper for a sustainable environment.
urban areas, such individual pumping up of drinking water For example, the use of asbestos cement for roof
is a common practice that endangers the ground reservoir covering material has not been prohibited by law. The
of water as a collective asset. Even though some case is similar for the lack of a regulatory system for
municipalities have a strict regulation against the waste management in buildings that enables users to sort
exploitation of ground water, the practice is common in waste into different categories, such as metal, glass,
urban areas due to having no access to a pipeline water paper, organic and plastic materials. Such sorting has not
supply. In 2007, only 61% of the population of Jakarta had yet been regulated by laws or by internal building codes
access to a pipeline water supply [14]. of conduct. The problem of waste management is likely
The greenship rating for water conservation is one step cultural, and probably rooted in traditional rural habit.
ahead of Indonesian culture for the wiser use of water. Modern complex urban habitation needs environmental
Water for most of the Indonesian population, which is awareness and codes of conduct concerning public health
predominantly Muslim, is essential for their ablution ritual that requires a well-managed system for the wastes of
of praying five times per day. The availability of water food, goods and building materials.
88 B. Wiryomartono
Indoor air quality for health & comfort (IHC) how can building performance possibly be maintained and
Controlling and managing indoor air quality is an sustained according to its greenship rating status?
important aspect of public health that supports and
sustains work productivity and comfort. In most built
environments, this aspect of greenship is workable with Concluding remarks
building designs that allow well-circulated fresh air from Issues, constraints and missed opportunities for green
indoors to outdoors and vice versa. The density of building are only some of the indicators of the lack of
buildings in urban areas does not only provide a challenge commitment that Indonesia’s political leaders actually have
to this natural cross-ventilation but also makes it towards addressing the issues of global climate change and
unrealistic. If the outdoor air is polluted by the CO2 creating a healthier environment for future generations.
emissions of traffic then it becomes impossible. Good Indonesia as a nation state does not have a shortage of
indoor air quality in most urban areas is likely only qualified human resources for managing climate change –
possible for those who can afford technological appliances but there is still a shortage of holistic political will for
for air purification through the removal of chemical dealing with global climate change. The transformation of
emissions, mold and particulates, and for overcoming poor lifestyle from one that takes no consideration of environ-
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ventilation. In dealing with the tropical climate of mental factors into one with a good level of environmental
Indonesia, buildings must entail in their design and awareness will require crucial policy implementations and
construction an ability to regulate indoor air quality for action within the educational framework from the early
humidity levels based on continuous air circulation. school years through to the university level.
At present, most of the traditional buildings are designed In order to participate in a global movement and in
and constructed with building materials and structures that response to climate changes, the government of Indonesia
use cross-ventilation. However, this solution is no longer needs to make the action plans as follow:
possible in modern buildings in urban areas; mechanical
ventilation systems are now required for residential, public . Ensure by law that energy distributors or retail
and commercial buildings that work for maintaining energy sales companies should achieve 1.5% energy
indoor air quality according to greenship ratings. The savings annually through the energy efficient policy
problem in Indonesia is not about the technicality of and program
instalment or its operation, but about regular maintenance; . Ensure by law that all public sectors should
the care of the building is still determined by routine purchase and operate efficient energy buildings,
cleanliness and tidiness. Due to a lack of awareness about products and services.
the replacement of parts, most buildings are unable to
perform according to the greenship standard for indoor air
quality. Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
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