Although Indonesia has signed and ratified the Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances the reality has also been that small scale local industries have continued to utilize these substances in the refrigeration and foam production processes as a cost reducing mechanism.

The proliferation of dangerous and poisonous waste in Indonesian ports has become an increasingly serious problem. In order to provide a regulatory framework for the management of this waste the State Minister of the Environment has issued Regulation No. 3 of 2007. This Regulation stipulates provisions relating to the collection and storage if dangerous and poisonous waste in Indonesian ports. The definition of ports in this Regulation includes both the water and surrounding land that supports shipping operations.

The fact that the District Court of Manado freed PT. Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR) and its President Director, Richard B. Ness was not necessarily a decision that was unexpected. Even so, some sectors of the community were still taken aback by the total rejection of the government case. Environmental groups were swift to state that this was a tragedy for the Indonesian environment and provided a free pass to big business to destroy the environment with impunity. However, the pro-NMR position is quick to highlight the contrary that the government clearly overstepped the mark in bringing the prosecution.

Environmental Impact Statements (EIS / Analisis Mengenai Dampak Lingkungan Hidup) and the types or activities of businesses that are required to possess an EIS are already regulated however Regulation No. 11 of 2006 is recognition from the State Minister of the Environment that the previous framework is no longer sufficient.

A rapidly expanding population will continue to place extraordinary pressures on the Government and its agencies to provide sustainable economic and social development in the future. This has been recognized in the development of bus corridors and the monorail in Jakarta where the ultimate emphasis is decreasing the reliance of citizens on private transportation by providing a viable and workable public transportation alternative. Nevertheless, until such time as these alternatives become viable and practical, people will continue to use their own private vehicles. A quick scan of the horizon will provide a lay persons view of the amount of exhaust emission pollution that forms a perpetual haze of the greater Jakarta metropolitan area.

The Government of Jakarta appears to be serious, at least in the legislation sense, of combating the ill-effects of smoking including passive smoking for non-smokers. The Regulation of the Governor of Jakarta, No. 52 of 2006, is framed in terms of clean air being a right for all people. Based on this right to clean air is also an obligation on the Government of Jakarta to ensure that clean air exists and hence the apparent desire to increase the number of smoke-free zones, areas, and public spaces (see ILB 19/7/2005).

The Government has issued Regulation No. 20 of 2006 to facilitate the implementation of Article 41 of Law No. 7 of 2004 on Water Resources (Water Law). This Regulation should be classified as an implementing regulation and highlights one of the anomalies in the legislation drafting system in Indonesia based on Law No. 10 of 2004 on Legislation Drafting, that is; primary laws are often generic in nature and are consequently heavily dependent on sub-ordinate legislation in order to be effectively and efficiently enforced. The time lag between primary and sub-ordinate legislation often results in legal uncertainty with respect to how the basic primary provisions are to be interpreted and enforced.

The Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition (KPPU) handed down its decision in the case concerning the Environmental Protection Equipment and the alleged breaches of Law No. 5 of 1999 on the Prohibition of Monopolistic Practices and Unfair Business Competition (Anti-Monopoly Law). These breaches involved the Transportation Service of Surabaya and relate to a tender to procure the environmental protection equipment, specifically emission test equipment.

The Minister of Industry (MoI) has issued a regulation that recognizes that there are both inherent benefits as well as dangers in the production and use of dangerous substances. To ensure that dangerous substances are not misused or abused, Regulation No. 24/MIND/PER/5/2006 stipulates the types of dangerous substances covered, their production and use, registration, reporting, and prohibitions, among other matters.

The Integrated River Management System (IRMS) envisaged under this Regulation, No. P.26/Menhut-II/2006, is much more expansive than just the rivers themselves. The IRMS includes surrounding flood plains and streams that function to move rain and other waters into lakes and dams. The underlying premise of this Regulation is not only to allow for better forest, land, and water management, but to also promote conservation to ensure that the environmental needs of the community are met over the long-term.