Journalists not only report the news but they also shape public perception and influence policy. CLASP in collaboration with the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ), hosted a first-of-its-kind media workshop, equipping journalists with the knowledge to drive public engagement on appliance efficiency. Through this initiative, 20 national news articles were published (noted in the table below). These stories reached major cities across Indonesia, capturing the attention of policymakers, landing on Mongabay, and even being cited by local media such as Kompas. The articles also sparked conversations about the merits of energy efficiency for consumers. The ripple effect is clear: informed journalism has the power to increase public awareness and the potential to turn this into consumer action.

Building awareness about efficiency

Energy labels are a critical tool for consumers to make informed, energy-efficient choices. However, in Indonesia, where energy demand is rising rapidly, only 27.5% of the population recognizes and understands the meaning of these labels on appliances.  Indonesia is the fourth highest emitter of CO₂ emissions in the Asia Pacific region, so improving the country’s appliance efficiency is a cost-effective way to reduce both energy demand and climate emissions.

To bridge this awareness gap, CLASP and the Indonesian Directorate General of New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation (EBTKE), and the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) joined forces to mainstream energy efficiency through appliances energy labeling in Indonesia. This includes a campaign and consumer education initiatives held in collaboration with local organizations, such as the Indonesian Consumer Organization (YLKI) and the Society of Indonesian Environmental Journalists (SIEJ).

What’s next?

The success of the media workshop has laid the groundwork for future collaborations, including potentially expanding to more specialized media programs and direct consumer engagement. By building the capacity and understanding of journalists, CLASP and its partners are ensuring more accurate reporting about the opportunities energy efficiency can provide in Indonesia–for the government, businesses, consumers, and the climate.