From Energy Security to Energy Justice: Indonesia’s Renewable Energy Transition in the Global Climate Governance Regime

Department of International Relations, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia

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Abstract

As Indonesia navigates the global imperative for decarbonization, its energy transition reflects a complex interplay between national energy security priorities and emerging international norms of energy justice. This study critically examines how Indonesia localizes global climate commitments while negotiating its developmental and political- economic constraints. Drawing on Schlosberg’s tripartite framework of distributive, procedural, and recognition justice, the research employs a qualitative document review of national policy instruments, planning documents, and international agreements published between 2014 and 2025. Findings reveal that while Indonesia has made normative progress by aligning with global climate targets through the Paris Agreement and Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), the institutionalization of justice principles remains selective and inconsistent. Domestically, fossil fuel path dependencies, patronage politics, and regulatory fragmentation continue to marginalize vulnerable communities and constrain renewable energy integration. Internationally, Indonesia simultaneously asserts solidarity with the Global South and exercises norm entrepreneurship to enhance strategic autonomy and climate finance access. This duality underscores the tension between rhetorical justice commitments and practical implementation. To address this gap, this paper also proposes a framework of energy justice indicators to guide future policy and ensure measurable equity outcomes in Indonesia’s renewable transition.