More Than Technology: Communities at the Heart of the Energy Transition Debates

The 2026 CAUSINDY Conference officially opened at the ITB Innovation and Science Park in Bandung, marking the beginning of four days of high-level dialogue and collaboration between emerging Australian and Indonesian leaders. CEO Anastasia Koo opened by acknowledging the indigenous history of sea cucumber trade between Australia and Indonesia, a small but meaningful gesture that framed the bilateral relationship as something older and more layered than policy documents usually suggest. Dr. Elena Williams of the Australia-Indonesia Institute Board then delivered the keynote, setting the tone for the week with a clear message: just energy transition is not only an infrastructure problem. It is a question of equity, community, and what genuine collaboration between the two countries can look like.

An Overview of the Indonesia-Australia Energy Relationship

The overview session brought together voices from both nations to map the current state of the Indonesia-Australia energy relationship. Professor Andrew Blakers of ANU made the case for solar as an unambiguously good deal for Indonesia, pointing to Australia’s 40% rooftop solar penetration model. But the Indonesian panellists offered a sharper lens. Ruddy Gobel, Center for Policy Development, raised the trust deficit between Australia and Indonesia businesses, noting that while government relationships are functioning, business-to-business trust remains underdeveloped. Ahmad Zuhdi, Energy Shift Institute, reframed the conversation entirely, asking not whether the transition is possible, but who pays for it and who benefits. His comparison between the impact of critical mineral extraction on Indonesia indigenous communities and Australia’s First Nation peoples drew one of the day’s most pointed moments. Melati Wulandari of the ASEAN Center for Energy closed the session with a practical emphasis that communities must be integrated into energy projects from the very beginning, not consulted after decisions have already been made.

Panel 1: Overcoming Barriers to Renewable Energy Transition

The first panel on overcoming barriers to renewable energy transition moved the discussion from the big picture into the operational realities on the ground. Dr Filda Yusgiantoro identified the policy-implementation gap as the primary barrier, noting that Indonesia has the legal architecture and natural resources but consistently fails to convert national ambition into regional action. Chris Bloomfield, DCCEEW, brought historical perspectives, noting that Australia was 90% coal fifteen years ago and is now at roughly 59% renewables. Fendy Liem, SEDAYU Solar, spoke from direct experience running solar projects in fishing villages in South Sulawesi, describing the double cost burden facing project developers who must pay first for existing fossil fuel infrastructure before investing in its replacement. “Indonesia recently celebrated reaching one gigawatt of solar capacity. Australia is at 45 gigawatts. The gap is motivation, not discouragement”, he noted.

CAUSINDY Bingo and Collab Session

Delegates came together for the CAUSINDY Bingo icebreaker. The activity mixed professional and personal prompts, encouraging delegates to talk across from the very first start. This session drew genuine laughter and brought the room together that a formal introduction rarely achieved. Between sessions, delegates took part in the first CAUSINDY Collab, working in groups to begin brainstorming actionable solutions to real challenges in the bilateral relationship.

Site Visit to KONEKSI Battery Project

The session in ITB closed with a site visit to the KONEKSI EV Battery Project at ITB Innovation Park, where delegates explored the full lifecycle of EV batteries, from the safety testing to upcycling and second life applications. A few delegates took the opportunity to test drive an EV around the block, a fittingly hands-on end to a technically rich day. 

The day concluded with a group dinner, giving delegates and the CAUSINDY team the opportunity to reflect on the day’s discussions and forge new connections over a shared meal in Bandung.