Indonesia is one of the top 10 countries generating the world’s highest volume of greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation being the second largest contributor after industry.
The government needs to encourage the use of green transportation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable environmental development.
Budi Karya Sumadi, former Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia (2016–2024), conveyed this during a Ramadan Public Lecture (RPL) at the UGM Campus Mosque on Monday (Mar. 10).
Budi Karya Sumadi, commonly known as BKS, shared that his experience in promoting green transportation was not easy, as it required the involvement of many stakeholders to produce regulations that sometimes conflicted with the intended mission.
“Achieving green transportation is a long and difficult road, but commitment and consistency must be maintained,” he said.
According to him, the issue of transportation using environmentally friendly fuel must continue to be addressed.
Sumadi emphasized that this reform requires thorough planning and mapping, especially in preparing green transportation.
He mentioned several benchmarks for preparing green transportation.
“First, of course, we need to consider the transportation users to ensure that the infrastructure being developed meets their needs. Users must be guided and provided with better transportation,” explained the UGM Architecture Engineering graduate.
Environmentally friendly transportation can also be achieved by providing eco-friendly fuels such as biogas.
Sumadi noted that despite being one of the best fuel solutions, biogas is still not widely used by the public.
However, the safety of vehicle users is equally important, which is crucial in supporting the transition to green transportation.
Sumadi cited how motorcyclists often feel they do not need to wear helmets for short distances, despite this posing a safety risk during travel.
Closing his lecture, Sumadi expressed his pride in the Ramadan Program on Campus (RDK) organized by the UGM Campus Mosque.
He appreciated the mosque management and organizers for producing various activities actively attended by hundreds of students.
“In my opinion, this is very good because the mosque can be a place to gain provisions for the future,” he concluded.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photograph: UGM Campus Mosque