Implementation of the Youth Energizers: Student Leaders as Champions of Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability Pilot Project in DKI Jakarta, which was launched on October 20, 2020, aims to build the capacity of youth, especially students to be active and insightful in encouraging energy efficiency, creating a school environment that is energy awareness, also supports the commitment of the Provincial Government – DKI Jakarta, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, consumption of fossil-based energy.
Jakarta, Indonesia – In collaboration with the Foundation of ICLEI Indonesia and the DKI Jakarta Government, through the Ambitious City Promises (ACP) Program, the Indonesian Institute for Energy Economics (IIEE) Foundation conducted a Pilot Project for Youth Energizers: Student Leaders as Champions of Energy Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability. The project which was attended by 24 schools in DKI Jakarta, consisting of 8 Primary School Students, 8 Junior High Schools, and 8 Senior High Schools/Vocational High School, consisting of 120 students and 24 teachers participated in the launch of the Pilot Project which was held on October 20, 2020.
The launch of the program was attended by the Directorate of Energy Conservation, Directorate General of New and Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of DKI Jakarta Regional Government, DKI Jakarta Education Office, Environmental Service DKI Jakarta, and selected participants from schools in DKI Jakarta.
Dr. Ir. Hariyanto, M.T. – Director of Energy Conservation said, “Supporting national scale energy conservation activities that are promoted, and supported by the Local Government and welcomed this program by involving SD, SMP, and SMA / SMK students, imitating the correct methods that have been done by developed countries. The Directorate of Energy Conservation is trying to communicate with the Education Office so that it can include energy conservation in the school curriculum. Energy efficiency is the spearhead, before developing other energies, we have to do efficiency first. No matter how much energy is generated, it will still be in vain if energy efficiency is not carried out” as stated at the launching of the program.
This activity aims to build the capacity of youth, especially students, to be active and insightful in encouraging efficiency and energy, raising awareness and facilitating peer-to-peer knowledge exchange among youths, and mobilizing the student population and potentially their immediate community.
As conveyed by Mr. Ari Mochamad – Country Manager of ICLEI Indonesia at the program launching “the changes in the reduction of emissions, youth are one of the players, it is that makes this program important. The role of young people in Jakarta to take part in curbing climate change and specifically as early as possible to embed changes in energy efficiency. So that in the future you can become an Ambassador with support from the school. This knowledge is carried by students and passed on to parents and friends”.
In order to comply with the health protocols and to avoid the spread of Covid-19, All activities are conducted online.
“In this pandemic, we must limit our activities and currently all activities are carried out from home. Learning from home and working from home, so the energy consumption increases. This program is very important to increase awareness of energy efficiency”. This was conveyed by Dr. Hakimul Batih – Executive Director of the Indonesian Institute for Energy Economics.
The program launching is followed by a training session for Energy Managers (teachers). The training covers energy efficiency and conservation, and also an introduction to renewable energy. The awareness on energy efficiency and conservation is becoming more important due to the shift of energy consumption trend from commercial and office space to household amid the Covid-19 pandemic when most of the working and learning activities are done from home. This concern is discussed in the training session for teachers. One of IIEE’s trainer, Rahmi Andarini, energy efficiency and conservation expert, takes her household as a real example. She showed the increasing monthly electricity bill during the pandemic. Then, she explains the strategy to reduce her household’s energy consumption, which she managed to keep at the pre-pandemic level.
Raising awareness through capacity building and competition
This training to increase awareness and capacity regarding energy efficiency and conservation begins with Energy Manager Training for teachers, then followed by Energy Ambassador training for school representative students which will be divided into 3 sessions for each level of elementary, junior and senior high-school. The criteria for the school chosen are Adiwiyata schools, or schools that have / will be installed with a solar rooftop, and through the recommendation of the DKI Jakarta Education Office.
The issue of renewable energy has become a global issue and has become a topic of discussion in Indonesia. The change of fossil energy to renewable energy needs to be widely disseminated. Renewable energies such as solar rooftops, water and wind energy have great potential in Indonesia, but their utilization is still not optimal. For this reason, the Youth Energizer activities carried out with schools in DKI Jakarta are expected to be able to encourage increased awareness of the utilization and understanding of renewable energy potential.
At the end of the training session there will be a competition for school representative participants, with competition difficulty levels differentiated by school level. Teams from each school level will be assigned tasks related to energy efficiency and energy conservation. Later, the three selected winners will receive prizes in the form of renewable energy support tools for schools which will be announced at the closing of the event.
Before DKI Jakarta, Indonesian Institute for Energy Economics (IIEE) has implemented an Energy Ambassadors training programs for students and teachers in Central Java and West Java.
