Indonesia's Green Islam movement is devoted to protecting the environment

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Le Monde or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: In Garut, West Java, Indonesia’s first pair of “eco-friendly” twin mosques are being constructed using recycled plastic and rice husks — part of a growing Islamic environmental movement across the country
• Led by the pesantren (Islamic school) Welas Asih, this initiative reflects how Islamic values are increasingly being mobilized to address Indonesia’s mounting environmental crises, including a severe waste management challenge and the impacts of climate change

🔭 The context: Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, with 88% of its 284 million people practicing Islam
• It is also one of the nations most vulnerable to climate change, facing rising sea levels, intensifying weather events, and unsustainable waste generation
• In 2024 alone, over 11.3 million metric tons of waste were classified as unmanaged by Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment
• Religious leaders and pesantrens have begun integrating ecological principles into Islamic teachings, shaping a “Green Islam” movement that blends faith with environmental stewardship

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The rise of Green Islam offers a culturally embedded and socially influential approach to sustainability in Indonesia
• By rooting climate action in religious practice, it can drive behavioral change at scale, particularly in rural and devout communities
• This faith-based environmentalism also provides a model for other religious-majority countries seeking community-driven, values-aligned climate responses
• However, success will depend on structural support and integration with national policies

⏭️ What's next: Initiatives like Welas Asih’s mosque project are likely to expand as environmental damage intensifies and public awareness grows
• The government is expected to further collaborate with religious institutions to amplify climate messaging and support grassroots action
• Scaling these efforts will require investment in education, green infrastructure, and formal recognition of religious-based environmentalism within Indonesia’s national climate strategy

💬 One quote: "Transforming waste in this way will save thousands of trees and, God willing, could become for all a form of devotion," — Irfan Amali, Director of Welas Asih Islamic School

📈 One stat: In 2024, 11.3 million metric tons of waste in Indonesia were classified as "unmanaged"—more than one-third of the country's total waste output

Explore carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies on Data Hub™ — the first platform designed to help sustainability providers generate sales leads!

Click for more news covering the latest on sustainable architecture and ethical governance