Ramping Up Ambition on Waste Methane and Just Transition in Indonesia: Recommendations for Indonesia’s Second NDC

In 2025, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) is scheduled to submit its Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). This presents a crucial opportunity for the government to enhance its ambition regarding emissions mitigation in the waste sector and to mobilize significant climate finance specifically for methane emissions.

This policy brief offers six key recommendations as follows:

1. Establish source separation and separate organic waste collection & treatment as a core strategy prioritized above all others, as it is a precondition for successful downstream organic waste treatment.
2. Prioritize strategies that follow the waste hierarchy, focusing on organic waste and waste methane. This means shifting from end-of-pipe measures to upstream measures, including increasing targets for organic waste treatment (like composting, BSF, and biodigesters), integrating FLW prevention, and replacing WtE, RDF, and LFG with methods like biologically active landfill cover.
3. Integrate a just transition in the dumpsite closure plan to ensure that affected communities, particularly waste pickers, are not left behind. This requires meaningful consultation and enabling waste pickers to participate in organic waste treatment initiatives.
4. Increase participation and boost leadership in international spaces and forums to mobilize climate finance. This includes joining the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) as a state member as well as initiatives like the Lowering Organic Waste Methane (LOW-M) Initiative, the Reducing Organic Waste Methane (ROW) Declaration, and CCAC’s Methane Roadmap Action Program (MRAP) and Targeted Expert Assistance (TEA) service. All of which can signal Indonesia’s commitment and attract funding.
5. Set up institutional and governance capacity as the preconditions for successful Second NDC implementation. This involves reclassifying waste management as an essential service with mandated budget allocation, distributing the financial burden across national and subnational levels, as well as banning untreated organic waste from dumpsites.
6. Build supporting environments for local governments to treat organic waste properly and sustainably. This includes enforcing source separation implementation, creating a stable and appealing market for producer and offtaker, and improving financing accessibility at the implementation level.

By implementing these recommendations, Indonesia can attract external and domestic funding, streamline implementation, configure best practices, and ensure a just transition for those impacted by dumpsite closures.