Menteri Lingkungan Hidup Jumhur Hidayat saat berkunjung ke Kantor PP Muhammadiyah, Jalan Cik Ditiro, Yogyakarta, Jumat (30/10/2026). (Foto: Istimewa/Harian Jogja)
YOGYAKARTA — Environment Minister Jumhur Hidayat has called on all Indonesians to embrace “ecological repentance” (tobat ekologis) to repair environmental damage. He made the call during a courtesy visit to the Muhammadiyah Central Board office on Jalan Cik Ditiro, Yogyakarta, on Friday, 30 October 2026.
The Ministry of Environment (KLH) is partnering with Muhammadiyah to expand the movement, from waste management to ecosystem restoration, through moral, religious, and law enforcement approaches. According to Jumhur, involving religious organizations is key to spreading environmental awareness at the grassroots.
“The environment is everyone’s business, so this must become a big movement,” Jumhur said.
Three Steps of Ecological Repentance
Jumhur explained that ecological repentance is an approach to mending a relationship between humans and nature that has been out of balance for decades. It aligns with ecotheology, which sees environmental protection as a moral and spiritual trust. He stressed that it must be carried out in three steps: admitting mistakes, stopping destructive practices, and restoring the affected environment.
“Ecological repentance is not merely an expression of regret.”
Jumhur Hidayat, Minister of Environment
In his view, it requires the courage to change how we live, how we do business, and how we make decisions.
Don’t Pass the Cost of Damage to the People
Jumhur warned that the burden of environmental damage must not be shifted onto the public.
“We cannot keep taking benefits from nature while handing the cost of its damage to the people,” he said.
He set out the roles of each party:
- Government must evaluate policies, improve oversight, follow up on public complaints, and enforce environmental law consistently. Environmental approvals must not be a mere administrative formality, and major polluters must face firm action.
- Businesses are urged to build environmental responsibility into their operations, from waste and emissions control to resource efficiency and restoring damage.
- The public is invited to cut single-use items, sort waste, stop burning rubbish, save water, and care for their surroundings.
But Jumhur stressed that changes in public behavior must be backed by adequate services. “People cannot be asked to sort their waste if collection and processing services are not available,” he said.
Muhammadiyah’s Response
Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir welcomed the idea of ecological repentance, saying it has a theological dimension. He said Muhammadiyah’s environmental work covers not only maintenance but also advocacy, including its Forest Waqf movement, which replants vacant endowment land. Haedar promoted the principle of “development without destruction” and urged that law enforcement distinguish deliberate environmental crimes from local practices driven by limited technology.
Muhammadiyah Secretary-General Muhammad Sayuti said the organization is ready to strengthen its commitment to protecting nature alongside the government. Waste management programs already run at several Muhammadiyah campuses, and the ministry hopes to expand them into a national movement. Also introduced was Mas Ananto, a 2026 Kalpataru environmental award winner known for the “waste alms” movement at Muhammadiyah mosques.
For villages, the message is relevant: adequate waste services, oversight of polluters, and community empowerment are key to ensuring villages do not bear the cost of environmental damage they did not cause.
Summarized from Harian Jogja, TIMES Indonesia, and Muhammadiyah.or.id (in Indonesian).
