- 22/07/2025
- Category: Commentaries
Author: Deriqqa Mawaddah Yulfa
Editor: Achmed Faiz Yudha Siregar
The “Twinning the Digital and Green” strategy—gaining traction globally—is seen as a promising path to digital sustainability by aligning technological advancement with environmental goals1. While digital technologies play a vital role in sustainability, they also contribute to 2–4% of global greenhouse gas emissions from user devices, networks, and data centers2.
One implementation of the twinning strategy includes low-power chips and AI-enabled 5G/6G networks that aim to reduce the environmental footprint of the ICT sector3. Yet, for this strategy to succeed, it must go beyond technical innovation. It requires governance that is clear, measurable, and systematic—ensuring that digital tools genuinely support climate neutrality, reduce energy use, and conserve resources while contributing to a sustainable economy4.
Applying the Twinning Strategy to Indonesia’s Digital Sustainability Governance
How, then, is this strategy reflected in Indonesia’s digital sustainability governance?
To assess how this strategy is reflected in Indonesia’s governance, we can begin by referring to the Indonesia Circular Economy Roadmap and National Action Plan 2025–2045 (Peta Jalan & Rencana Aksi Nasional Ekonomi Sirkular Indonesia 2025-2045). This roadmap outlines circular economy ecosystems across sectors such as food, textiles, retail, and electronics—each equipped with policy directions and performance indicators.
In the electronics sector, for instance, the Jakarta Provincial Environmental Agency (Dinas Lingkungan Hidup Provinsi DKI Jakarta) has established an e-waste pickup method, accessible through its official website. The collected e-waste is then processed by adopting the “Reduce” and “Recycle”, derived from circular business models, to minimize the enviromental impact caused by the large volume of unused electronics, including the ICT devices5. However, another serious concern arises, criticizing this method: does it truly embody the ‘Twinning’ concept?
At first glance, using website to collect and pick up e-waste clearly reflects the “digital meets green” principle. However, whether this method truly achieves the “green” outcomes, it’s still difficult to determine. Indonesia currently lacks clear national indicators or guidelines for e-waste data management, making it more challenging to evaluate the real environmental impact of such initiatives6.
Another relevant policy supporting digital sustainability is the Kebijakan Satu Data Indonesia, established by Presidential Regulation No. 39 of 2019. This initiative enables both local and central governments—as well as other stakeholders—to access national integrated data, Portal Satu Data, to make strategic decisions. The policy is also a cornerstone of data governance, which is essential to achieving digital sustainability. Moreover, it plays a supporting role in the circular economy, which requires a centralized database to track product lifecycles, recyclable materials, and electronic component recovery7.
Another question, then, pops up: does Portal Satu Data reflect a twinning approach?
Consider the example of the Aceh Local Government, which advances the one-data policy by leveraging the SIGAP application and Portal Satu Data Indonesia to integrate cross-sector information such as watershed data, deforestation figures, and maps of flood-affected villages in Aceh8. This serves as a reflection of how digital initiatives can support environmental conservation efforts. However, it remains unclear whether Portal Satu Data Indonesia or the SIGAP application fully align with the goals of being truly ‘green’ in this context. To date, neither SIGAP, Portal Satu Data Indonesia, nor other related systems have comprehensively incorporated data on carbon emissions from their operating systems/applications, the energy consumption of the National Data Center, or e-waste management.
Other supporting policies include:
- Presidential Regulation No. 132 of 2022 on Electronic-Based Government Systems (Sistem Pemerintahan Berbasis Elektronik atau SPBE),
- The 2024 Decree on Sustainable Procurement (published by LKPP),
- Regulation No. 21 of 2022 on Carbon Economic Values.
These provide important frameworks but still lack indicators specifically targeting digital sustainability.
Closing the Gaps in Indonesia’s Digital Sustainability Governance
While Indonesia’s governance landscape includes promising initiatives, it has yet to fully implement the twinning strategy. Critical gaps remain, especially in defining what digital sustainability looks like in practice.
The first step is developing specific guidelines and indicators for digital sustainability—such as a centralized “green matrix” evaluating the environmental impact of digital technologies. This could be achieved through inter-agency collaboration among the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and Bappenas9.
Green procurement must also be embedded into the LKPP e-catalog, requiring environmental standards for digital device and component purchases. Additionally, carbon accounting might be integrated into the SPBE digital service performance evaluations10.
Incentives should reward institutions or agencies that meet or exceed green benchmarks—helping embed a culture of digital sustainability and accountability. Moreover, tech companies, including AI developers, should be required to report energy use and carbon emissions generated by systems or models. Incentivizing streamlined, low-energy system design could also drive change11.
Toward Collaborative Innovation
One key to unlocking twinning’s full potential is cultivating a culture of open, collaborative policymaking. Multi-stakeholder involvement—from government and industry to academia and civil society—is essential for aligning innovation with sustainability. This isn’t just an option; it’s a necessity. Only through collaborative innovation can Indonesia effectively harness digital technology in support of environmental preservation and long-term sustainability12.
If Indonesia is serious about achieving inclusive digital sustainability, the country must treat digital infrastructure not only as a development asset but also as a measurable part of its environmental footprint. For example, with properly orchestrated e-waste governance, Indonesia could follow in the footsteps of countries like Singapore, which has a robust IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) programs13.
Final Thoughts
The “Twinning” strategy offers a compelling framework—but in Indonesia, it remains underdeveloped. Aligning digital transformation with sustainability requires more than aspirations; it needs deliberate policy design, measurable indicators, and real accountability.
By closing the governance gaps and fostering a culture of cooperation and green innovation, Indonesia can make meaningful progress in digital sustainability—both within the region and across Southeast Asia, at least.
References:
1. Bradley, K., 2007. Defining digital sustainability. Library trends, 56(1), pp.148-163.
2. Freitag, C., Berners-Lee, M., Widdicks, K., Knowles, B., Blair, G.S. and Friday, A., 2021. The real climate and transformative impact of ICT: A critique of estimates, trends, and regulations. Patterns, 2(9).
3. Muench, S., Stoermer, E., Jensen, K., Asikainen, T., Salvi, M. and Scapolo, F., 2022. Towards a green & digital future.
4. European Commission, 2022. Strategic Foresight Report: Twinning the Green and Digital Transitions in the New Geopolitical Context. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council.
5. Peta Jalan & Rencana Aksi Nasional Ekonomi Sirkular Indonesia 2025-2045, 2025: Kementerian PPN/Bappenas.
6. Peta Jalan & Rencana Aksi Nasional Ekonomi Sirkular Indonesia 2025-2045, 2025: Kementerian PPN/Bappenas.
7. Digitalization for Sustainability (D4S), 2023: Digital Reset. Redirecting Technologies for the Deep Sustainability Transformation. München: oekom. https://doi.org/10.14512/9783987262463
8. Dilansir pada akun Instagram Kedutaan Besar Australia untuk Indonesia (@kedubesaustralia), yang diunggah pada tanggal 19 Juni 2025 dan diakses pada 20 Juni 2025
9. European Commission, 2022. Strategic Foresight Report: Twinning the Green and Digital Transitions in the New Geopolitical Context. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council.
10. European Commission, 2022. Strategic Foresight Report: Twinning the Green and Digital Transitions in the New Geopolitical Context. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council.
11. Digitalization for Sustainability (D4S), 2023: Digital Reset. Redirecting Technologies for the Deep Sustainability Transformation. München: oekom. https://doi.org/10.14512/9783987262463
12. Digitalization for Sustainability (D4S), 2023: Digital Reset. Redirecting Technologies for the Deep Sustainability Transformation. München: oekom. https://doi.org/10.14512/9783987262463
13. Peta Jalan & Rencana Aksi Nasional Ekonomi Sirkular Indonesia 2025-2045, 2025: Kementerian PPN/Bappenas.
