Clean air for Jakarta: From a local crisis to a G20 global priority

This article was originally published in The Jakarta Post Academia on November 26, 2025.

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For the first time in history, air quality officially entered the Group of 20 agenda. Under South Africa’s 2025 presidency, the world’s largest economies have placed air pollution control among their core priorities, marking a fundamental global shift.  

This momentum also resonates strongly in Southeast Asia, where countries are increasingly recognizing clean air as a shared regional priority, building on their long-standing transboundary haze agreement.  

For the people of Jakarta, this recognition is long overdue. Air pollution is a daily, visible and measurable crisis. Almost every day, popular air quality monitoring apps like IQAir rank Jakarta among the most polluted cities in the world.  

Its ranking reflects an urgent health and economic emergency. A 2023 study by Syuhada et al. estimated that Jakarta’s air pollution contributed to more than 5,000 hospitalizations annually. The economic toll is similarly staggering at an estimated US$2.9 billion per year, or 2.2 percent of the city’s gross regional domestic product (GRDP).  

Yet solutions require more than acknowledging the scale of the problem. They depend on accurate, timely data and a clear understanding of where pollution comes from.  

In recent years, the Clean Air Catalyst (CAC), a partnership led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) that involves both international and local collaborators, has helped strengthen Jakarta’s scientific foundation for air quality management. By expanding monitoring for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon, CAC’s 2024-2025 findings confirm what Jakartans experience every dry season: average PM2.5 levels can reach 53 micrograms per cubic meter, more than three times the national standard and 10 times the World Health Organization guideline.

Understanding the sources of those pollutants is crucial. Previous studies, including work by Lestari et al. in 2022, have long pointed to transportation as a major contributor. With some 11 million registered vehicles, the majority comprising 8.6 million motorcycles, Jakarta’s roads form a crowded and diverse emissions landscape.  

But a joint emissions inventory by CAC and the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) provides deeper insight: trucks are disproportionately responsible for road pollution. Though smaller in number, they generate 69 percent of nitrogen oxides, 52 percent of black carbon and 43 percent of PM2.5 from vehicles. Hence, tackling emissions from the highest-polluting vehicle categories is essential.  

Transportation, however, tells only part of the story. CAC’s monitoring also shows that black carbon, a fine particulate produced by incomplete combustion, contributes 11-14 percent of Jakarta’s PM2.5 level. Its sources extend beyond vehicles, and in areas such as Jagakarsa in South Jakarta, biomass burning accounts for nearly 40 percent of black carbon.  

Further investigation around Lubang Buaya in East Jakarta indicates that much of this biomass burning originates from open land and densely populated settlements, including informal waste collection points. Although open waste burning is prohibited by both national and provincial regulations, weak enforcement and limited community-level waste management mean the practice persists.  

These findings show that real solutions must come from multiple directions, revealing a gap between regulations and reality.  

In transportation, this gap is stark. Indonesia already mandates the Euro 4 emission standards for new vehicles under Environment and Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. 20/2017), supported by Euro 4-equivalent diesel fuel standards under Oil and Gas Director General Decree No. 146/2020. In practice, compliant fuel distribution and availability remain slow and inconsistent.  

A similar issue arises with waste burning. Despite long-standing bans, CAC’s black carbon study indicates that open burning continues due to weak enforcement.

Addressing both gaps requires consistent implementation and stronger enforcement. For transport, a clear road map for clean vehicles is essential. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s commitment to fully implement Euro 4-equivalent fuels by 2028 must be closely monitored.  

CAC’s emission inventory submitted to the Jakarta administration shows that full Euro 4 implementation could reduce PM2.5 emissions by up to 75 percent and sulfur dioxide emissions by 79 percent by 2030. At the same time, enforcement must be strengthened to tackle open waste burning at the community level.  

Ensuring this consistency is not only a technical matter but also a governance challenge. Cross-sector and cross-jurisdiction issues cannot be solved in isolation, and regional collaboration is increasingly essential.  

The Southeast Asia Air Quality Community of Practice (SEA-AQ CoP), another WRI-led initiative, brings together policymakers, researchers and city administrations across the region to exchange practical experience and strengthen capacity. Lessons from this network reinforce the core message of the CAC’s findings: Lasting air quality improvements rely on strong, coordinated governance with clear mandates and sustained implementation.  

The CAC’s findings make one thing clear: Air pollution and climate change are inseparable. Black carbon illustrates this connection, acting as both an air pollutant and a short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP). Several other pollutants have this dual role as well, meaning that reducing their emissions also supports climate mitigation.  

The inclusion of air quality on the G20 agenda is both a signal of urgency and a window of opportunity. It represents global recognition that clean air is a human right and a pillar of sustainable development. Prioritizing air quality at the G20 can help move three levers simultaneously: coordinated financing for clean energy, harmonized emission standards and technology transfers for monitoring and low-emission solutions.  

For Jakarta, improved air pollution data strengthens its ability to engage in this global agenda. With clearer evidence, the city can demonstrate leadership on clean air management, attract investment and technology through G20 initiatives and accelerate its transformation into a more livable, healthier metropolis.  

This stronger evidence base for clean air is also essential for advancing Jakarta’s ambition to become a resilient, globally competitive city under its RISE #20 framework.