Findings from Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with Six Religious Communities in Indonesia

Climate change has become a tangible crisis affecting food security, public health, livelihoods, and increasing the risk of ecological disasters in Indonesia. Recognizing the strategic potential of religious institutions to advance climate action grounded in shared values and collective responsibility, AYANA conducted a series of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) from March to April 2026 with six religious communities: Islam (MUI), Buddhism (WALUBI), Protestant Christianity (PGI), Catholicism (KWI), Hinduism (PHDI), and Confucianism (MATAKIN), involving more than 150 participants. The discussions mapped a wide range of good practices already being implemented across religious communities, including waste management, ecosystem restoration, environmentally friendly houses of worship, eco-theological education, sustainable lifestyles, and green philanthropy.

Based on these discussions, four flagship interfaith programme recommendations were formulated: the National Green Houses of Worship Movement, the Interfaith Climate Action Joint Secretariat, the Interfaith Youth for Climate Justice Programme, and the Interfaith Green Philanthropy Initiative. These four recommendations provide an initial pathway for connecting existing initiatives and building more coordinated, inclusive, and sustainable collective action