Emil Salim's Legacy: Knowledge, Integrity and the Future of Indonesia's Environment

Classroom Integrity and Policy

Emil Salim takes on many roles: economist, minister, academic and environmental thinker. These roles brought him into contact with interests that did not always align. On the one hand there is a need to build. On the other hand, there is the reality about the limits of nature's capabilities and the impacts borne by society.

In a tribute event announced at the University of Indonesia's School of Environmental Sciences in 2025, his son, Roosdinal Salim, mentioned integrity as an important value that Emil taught the family. SIL UI also awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to environmental science and sustainable development.

This value provides a way to read Emil's journey. Knowledge about environmental damage will mean little if it stops in reports or lecture halls. It needs to be brought into policy debates, including when scientific findings make development decisions more difficult.

Old Ideas, Closer Problems

Today, environmental issues are present in everyday life. Flooding disrupts school and work. Air pollution adds to the health burden. Soil damage makes things difficult for farmers, while water crises can stop household and industrial activities.

At the same time, Indonesia needs energy, food, housing and jobs. The need is real. Likewise, costs arise when development ignores natural carrying capacity.

This is where Emil Salim's thoughts remain relevant. Protecting the environment is not a job that is placed after economic targets have been achieved. Environmental damage itself can erode development results: budgets are absorbed to recover from disasters, productivity decreases, and residents lose their source of livelihood.

The younger generation is now familiar with the terms climate change, clean energy, green economy and sustainable development. These terms are easy to find in speeches and reports. The test is in more concrete decisions: how projects are designed, risks are calculated, citizens are heard, and damage is prevented.