Earth Day is not just a symbolic commemoration, it is a call to action. Amid the increasingly real climate crisis, Sumatra stands at a crossroads: Energy transition or slowly disappear under the shadow of greed.

The island of Sumatra, once known as a home to lush tropical forests and extraordinary biodiversity, is now threatened by the expansion of dirty energy. One of the biggest threats is that the source of electricity in Sumatra is dominated by coal-fired power plants, which not only damage the environment locally, but also accelerate the global climate crisis.

Carbon emissions, ecosystem destruction, land conflicts, and public health impacts are a high price to pay for an energy source that is nearing the end of its useful life.

The theme “Sumatera Refuses to Go Extinct” raised on Earth Day is a form of affirmation of attitude. This is a call to fight against policies that do not support the sustainability of life, reject energy sources that sacrifice future generations, and fight for a clean, fair and sustainable energy transition.

Through this series of Earth Day 2025 activities, we from the Sumatra Rejects Extinction Coalition want to present a space for collaboration, education, and mobilization of action that places Sumatra at the forefront of the fight against the climate crisis.

Based on the results of monitoring of nine coal-fired power plants in Sumatra in the last two years, Nagan Raya Aceh power plant, Pangkalan Susu North Sumatra power plant, Ombilin West Sumatra power plant, Tenayan Raya Riau power plant, Keban Agung Lahat power plant, Sumsel 1 power plant, Teluk Sepang Bengkulu power plant, Semaran Jambi power plant, Sebalang and Tarahan Lampung power plant, 47 environmental management violations were found. Of the total findings, 12 of them have been reported to law enforcement at the Indonesian Ministry of Environment (KLH). However, this is not enough to accelerate the termination of coal-fired power plant activities in Sumatra.

While the current Prabowo regime is increasingly fierce and seems to blindly support coal projects, coal downstreaming in the form of gas, support for nickel exploitation as a substitute for petroleum, and Danantara which also has the potential to support coal gasification and its derivative industries are real forms that this regime has no intention of making Indonesia a good example of the world's energy transition.

Pembiayaan eksploitasi pada sumber daya alam seperti hilirisasi batubara merupakan kebijakan yang kontra produktif dengan agenda transisi energi yang sedang dilakukan negara Indonesia.

Ali Akbar Konsolidator Sumatera Terang untuk Energi Bersih (STuEB) yang juga merupakan Ketua Kanopi Hijau Indonesia menyatakan, “Belum ada pergerakan yang signifikan dari negara untuk menjalankan agenda transisi energi. Yang muncul adalah strategi akal-akalan seperti co-firing, gasifikasi batubara dan biomas, yang semuanya bertujuan untuk melanggengkan batubara sebagai bahan bakar utama pembangkit listrik di Sumatera”.

Syukur from Apel Green Aceh highlighted that coal burning at the Nagan Raya PLTU has produced thick ash and dust that has disturbed the comfort and health of residents living around the operational area of ​​the power plant. According to him, the pollution produced is not only disturbing, but has reached the stage of threatening the safety of people's lives. Based on data, at least 512 cases of Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) and 174 cases of skin diseases are strongly believed to be related to air pollution from PLTU activities.

For the safety of the people, the best solution is only one: early retirement of PLTU 1C2 Nagan Raya. The government must dare to take firm steps to save the environment and the community," concluded Syukur.

Wilton Amos Panggabean from YLBHI-Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Pekan Baru said, "Riau without coal is the right step to overcome the climate crisis, because the existence of the Tenayan Raya PLTU actually adds to the suffering of the Riau people amidst the extreme weather phenomenon. In addition, fishermen in Okura are also affected because they can no longer consume water from the Siak River. The lack of commitment from the government to stop the rate of carbon emissions has an impact on the declining quality of life of the Riau people, especially for those who live around the PLTU."

Hardi Yuda from the Jambi Three Brothers Institution added that the condition of Jambi Province is very worrying, the holes of former coal mines are wide open without reclamation, this is an environmental crime. The reclamation funds that should be used for the restoration of former mines are channeled who knows where. In Muaro Jambi Regency, the largest national cultural heritage site in Southeast Asia is threatened with damage due to being surrounded by coal stockpiles. Meanwhile, in Semaran Village, Sarolangun Regency, every day the community is faced with air pollution due to the Semaran PLTU operated by PT Permata Prima Elektrindo. Of course, there are still many other problems caused by coal mining in Jambi Province. Until now, there has been no visible government effort to improve the condition, it seems that this has been ignored.

Sumiati Surbakti from the Srikandi Lestari Foundation of North Sumatra explained that the administrators of this country are very addicted to coal even though it is very clear that coal is very problematic from upstream to downstream, but they continue to maintain it without thinking about the suffering of the people and many have become victims both from upstream when coal is taken from the earth's bowels to when coal is used. "It is natural if some say that we are actually still not independent, it's just a change of hands," said Sumiati who is familiarly called Mimi.

Sumaindra from LBH Lampung added, “The provision of energy by the state produced through fossil fuels will continue to cause problems, and every problem that occurs is always the people who continue to be the victims. Dirty energy produced through PLTU so far from upstream to downstream needs to be seen as an effort that worsens the environment and perpetuates human rights violations. Lampung Province with the fulfillment of electrical energy through PLTU, one of which is PLTU Sebalang, has had an impact on the community, which has resulted in fishing areas and several previous cases regarding public road access for the community.”

He assessed that the mushrooming coal stockpiles in Lampung which are suspected to be illegal have had a health impact on the community around Sukaraja Village and many people have experienced ISPA and skin diseases due to coal dust produced from the stockpiles. Therefore, it is important to encourage and ensure the country to carry out a clean, fair and sustainable energy transition as an effort to fulfill participatory energy and side with the community.

Director of LBH Padang, Diki Rafiqi, asserted that, “The state has failed to fulfill its basic obligation to guarantee human rights. Residents around the PLTU, especially in the Ombilin PLTU and Teluk Sirih PLTU in West Sumatra are left without protection, even though they live in the shadow of health and safety threats due to PLTU activities. The state allows its people to risk their lives for the sake of daily survival.”

Sahwan Yayasan Anak Padi Lahat, said "Lahat is one of the areas that is the largest coal producer in South Sumatra Province, which clearly has a very bad impact on the environment where the beautiful landscape around Bukit Serelo has now turned into a large mining pit. Not only that, during the rainy season, floods always haunt, maybe this is because the river is narrowing or shallowing due to mining activities, not only that, coal transportation back and forth also causes air pollution that is detrimental to health. In Lahat there is also the Keban Agung PLTU and around this PLTU there are farmers who claim that their income has decreased since this PLTU started operating.

Boni from the South Sumatra Clean Association Representative said, "In the momentum of the Earth Day commemoration on April 22, 2025, the South Sumatra government should be able to take big steps in saving the community from natural disasters caused by environmental damage. Throughout 2024-2025, various regions in South Sumatra Province were hit by natural disasters ranging from floods to forest fires, this was caused by environmental damage."

He assessed that the acceleration of a fair and sustainable energy transition is an important thing for the South Sumatra Provincial Government to do in order to mitigate environmental damage. Therefore, the call to stop and evaluate the construction of new coal-fired power plants in South Sumatra Province is because every construction of a power plant and mine will be directly proportional to the loss of agricultural and plantation land which is a source of the community's economy. While currently the energy mix of South Sumatra Province is 24.14%, it has exceeded the national energy mix target with the current installed New and Renewable Energy (EBT) of 989.12 MW, so South Sumatra should be in

Realizing the energy transition must dare to propose a reduction in coal-fired power plants by the same amount as the installed renewable energy power plants.

Arlan from the Representative of the Environmental Rescue Action Coalition (KAPL), said, "The Musi River as the heart of the community's economy must be immediately saved from the negative impacts of the existence of coal transportation and coal stockpiles that cause shallowing and pollution of the Musi River. On the other hand, coal transportation and coal mining activities in South Sumatra are very disturbing to the community, starting from environmental damage, loss of community livelihoods and declining health quality, so it is appropriate to demand that permits be revoked and all stockpiles along the Musi River be closed and that coal transportation in the waters of the Musi River be evaluated, which has so far brought disaster to the community in South Sumatra Province."

Arlan, who is also the coordinator of the “Sumatera Menolak Punah” action, asked the Governor of South Sumatra, Herman Deru, to have the courage to lead or initiate the acceleration of the retirement of coal-fired power plants in order to realize a fair and sustainable energy transition on the island of Sumatra, through coordination and consolidation steps with governors throughout Sumatra.

In addition, he urged President Prabowo to realize the recovery process for both the environment and the victims who have fallen due to coal mining investments and fossil fuel power plants in South Sumatra in particular and the island of Sumatra to immediately accelerate the energy transition to avoid greater damage and avoid more victims.

As of the time of this release, 4,920 people in 7 coal-fired power plants in Sumatra are suffering from the impacts of air pollution.