"We are the last generation who can tackle climate change. Ready or not, we need to act right now. Building is one of the biggest emitters, and green building is considered as a real action to conserve and protect our environment." 

– Siti Adiningsih Adiwoso, Chairperson Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI)

Indonesia is one of the world’s largest GreenHouse Gases (GHG) emitters and the building sector is one of its significant contributors. A 2004 statistics reported that the building sector in Indonesia is the 3rd largest final energy consumer after the industrial and transportation sectors, contributing 27% of the nation’s total energy consumption. The figure is expected to increase to 39% by 2030. As a response, many actors start to carry out significant efforts to cut down its number. These attempts include creating a green building code, constructing eco-friendly buildings, as well as partnering with various institutions to support the development of green architecture.

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, is one of the cities that has created a massive progress in developing a more sustainable city through eco-friendly building. In 2013, Jakarta Provincial Government implemented the Pergub (Governor Decree) No. 38/2012 which constitutes the mandatory green building regulations and integrates it into the building permit application process. This decree consisted of regulations on energy and water conservation, indoor air quality preservation, waste management, and its construction. As of May 2016, data from Jakarta Green Building has shown that the green building code implementation in Jakarta has resulted in 260 buildings with more than 15 million sqm that saves 853,914 MWh energy and reduce 605,425 metric tons of CO2 every year. However, 90 percent of the buildings standing in Jakarta were built prior to the implementation of the decree and to this date, there has not been any obligation for the existing building to improve and comply with the green building code. Though, the Provincial Government highly encourages the owners to begin the progress to comply with the code. 

Another city that is following Jakarta’s path is Bandung, one of the big cities in Indonesia. In 2014, the Mayor of Bandung initiated implementation of green building in the city. This step was then continued with various discussions and seminars on the topic of setting the parameter that suits the geographical condition and landscape of the city as well as conducting field research. Two years later, the mayor’s decree on Green Building Regulation was passed and became a prerequisite for building permit application. To support the implementation of the Mayor Regulation, the government also provided supporting devices, containing information about green buildings in Bandung, the online application system for Technical Recommendations applicants as a requirement to obtain a building permit, as well as a user guide which aimed to guide the design and implementation of green building requirements.

Despite the many progress, there are still many challenges that are faced by the country to strive towards the betterment of its green architecture. However, seeing the country’s great ambition to improve continuously, this ambassador looks forward to the Indonesia's other steps to progress.