Youth group chief Zagy Berian on being clear-eyed about Indonesia's clean energy challenge

The 25-year-old started a clean energy group in his school in 2019 that has since ballooned to over 40 varsities and 3,000 members. Berian is now running the organisation as a non-profit and looking to make a bigger impact in the region.

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Zagy Berian is not happy that American socialite Kylie Jenner, who makes short hops across California on a private jet, has more followers on Instagram than Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg, who started the “Fridays for Future” youth strike movement.

Youths need to get involved in energy and climate matters to build a better future for themselves, said Zagy. The 25-year-old, who started the Society of Renewable Energy (SRE) student group advocating for clean energy on campus when he was a mechanical engineering undergraduate in 2019, is set on leading this effort in his home country Indonesia.

Zagy believes that the state needs to work with youths, which make up over half of Indonesia’s population, if the government is serious about its energy transition and climate efforts. SRE, which started out with rural solar panel projects, has become a key strategic partner of the Indonesian government in recent years. Its membership has also skyrocketed, with local chapters in over 40 universities across Indonesia.

This news brief is based on reporting published by Eco-Business on 2023-03-08. The original report is linked below.