PPIM UIN Jakarta Survey: Majority of Indonesian Muslims Believe in Climate Change
Jakarta, UIN Online News— Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) UIN Jakarta released the results of the national REACT (Religious Environmentalism Actions) survey, which examined the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of Indonesian Muslims towards the environment and climate change, at Hotel Ashley Wahid Hasyim Jakarta on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
The survey involved 3,397 respondents aged 15 and above from all provinces in Indonesia, with a response rate of 97.06%. The method used was probability sampling with multistage random sampling, ensuring an accurate representation of the Indonesian population.
The survey revealed that 70.43% of Indonesian Muslims are aware of climate change, with 76.82% believing and 19.1% strongly believing that climate change is occurring. However, only 50.4% are concerned about environmental damage, while 58.35% are more worried about crime.
From the data, 46.07% of respondents believe that humans are the main cause of environmental damage and climate change, 37.72% believe it is a combination of human activities and natural factors, and 16.21% attribute it to natural causes.
The launch event was attended by guests from various embassies, including the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United States, as well as environmental organizations such as the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), Greenpeace, and other related organizations.
PPIM UIN Jakarta Executive Director, Didin Syafruddin, Ph.D., opened the event by thanking the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its support in this research. The next speech was delivered by Maresa Oosterman, Head of Political Affairs, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jakarta.
The REACT National Survey Coordinator, Prof. Iim Halimatusa’diyah, Ph.D., presented the survey findings, highlighting that a majority of Indonesian Muslims (46.07%) view climate change as largely caused by human actions. Nearly 70% of Indonesian Muslims agree that climate change is driven by economic activities such as palm oil plantations and mining.
"Conservative Islam tends to be less environmentally friendly, while Muslims with strong commitments are more pro-environment," she noted.
Andri N.R Mardiah, ST, M.Bus, Ph.D., Director of Higher Education and Science and Technology at BAPPENAS, emphasized the importance of education in improving human quality in environmental literacy. "Education is lifelong and should encompass both hard and soft skills to support sustainable development," he stated.
Ulil Abshar Abdalla, Chairman of PB Nahdlatul Ulama, commented that Green Islam should differentiate between environmental issues at the small habitat level (environmental damage) and the big habitat level (climate change). "Decarbonization issues still require much attention and are not fully addressed," he added.
Dr. Agus S. Djamil, Executive Director of the Muhammadiyah Climate Center, stated that the survey provides valuable baseline studies for academics, policymakers, and civil society organizations based on religion. "The survey results reflect the current state of environmental awareness in our nation," he said.
Environmental activist Hening Parlan, M.M., revealed findings that 40% of environmental problems in Indonesia are related to waste, followed by flooding (20%), clogged rivers (11%), global warming (10%), air pollution (6%), marine ecosystem damage (4%), water scarcity (3%), forest destruction (2%), coastal erosion (2%), and soil pollution (2%). "Indonesian Muslims have a very high tendency to ignore climate change, despite its significant impact," she explained.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session and a participant poll, with souvenirs given out. The public can watch the event via live streaming on the PPIM UIN Jakarta YouTube channel at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/live/mE_AbkKd8Mw?si=IfF8ZJz2CQ66G_DK (Ken Devina/ Fauziah Muslimah/ Noeni Indah Sulistiyani/ Photo: Adib Taufiqur'Rachman)