Indonesia: Jakarta imposes telework for two months to fight against air pollution

Since Monday August 21, working remotely has been an obligation for the vast majority of civil servants in Jakarta. The authorities have decided to impose teleworking for two months to reduce GHG emissions and pollution.

Indonesia's capital was recently named the most polluted major city in the world by air monitoring company IQAir. Jakarta's air quality index has regularly exceeded 152, well above the threshold of 100, which already indicates very poor conditions. According to the Jakarta Globe newspaper, President Joko Widodo blamed vehicle emissions, the use of coal in industrial activities and a prolonged dry season as the cause of the high levels of pollutants.

During the confinements of the Covid-19 pandemic, compulsory teleworking notably emptied the highways and roads and air pollution drastically decreased. Teleworking therefore seems to be a solution for Indonesia.

The Indonesian government introduced this measure this week with the aim of reducing the level of pollution in the capital for the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - an organization that brings together a dozen States in the region, such as the Philippines or Thailand - which will take place from September 4 to 7. This measure also reduces traffic in the capital. Third most congested city in the world, more than 24.5 million vehicles travel on the roads every day.

This obligation concerns 50% of civil servants in Jakarta, or 30,000 people. Only those who are not directly in contact with the public are initially concerned. During the summit, the measure will extend to 75% of civil servants who will be joined by students. Between August 28 and September 7, half of the young people educated near the Asean site will have to follow distance education.

Students will be able to return to their institutions when the association meeting is over but officials will have to wait until October 21.

This decision does not please everyone. It is considered ineffective in the long term. According to Les Echos, Shinta W. Kamdani, president of Apindo, the Indonesian employers' association, pointed out on Monday that this measure "is not sustainable and does not completely solve the air pollution problem in Jakarta". . The telework obligation lifted, traffic jams and air pollution will most likely skyrocket again.

In the near future, the government plans to inaugurate a light rail system linking the cities of Jakarta and West Java. The objective is to reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads of the capital. In the meantime, the authorities are stepping up anti-pollution checks on vehicles.