Prioritizing Sustainability: Coalitions, Learning and Change Surrounding Biodiesel Policy Instruments in Indonesia

Abstract

This thesis explores the policy journey of Indonesia towards becoming the leading global producer of palm-oil based biofuels. With a focus on environmental sustainability tradeoffs, the dissertation focuses on policy instruments relevant to various segments of the Indonesian biodiesel production process, in order to discuss how they can the synergized to achieve greater sustainability outcomes. To this end, the thesis uses a policy network lens to examine the connections between government and non-state policy actors who define the Indonesian biodiesel policy subsystem and the resultant effect they have on the trajectory of three related policy instruments. These instruments were analyzed using a historical process trace based on secondary sources, quantitatively using primary data derived from a social network analysis (SNA) questionnaire , and lastly through qualitative findings resulting from interviews with members of the subsystem. The process trace was conducted to shed light on how the development of each instrument has been influenced historically by actors internal to the policy process, external events and how they have been shaped out of the layering of previous policies. The network analysis illustrated the composition of the biodiesel policy subsystem and helped to highlight the degree of interconnection, the dominant policy actors and their effect on the transfer of information within the subsystem. Lastly, the results from the qualitative results were used to draw conclusions about what form of learning (whether more substantive and instrumental, or more strategic and political) is prevalent for each instrument and how this level of learning informs the instruments? potential for adjustment and recalibration. Findings from these three parts of the thesis allowed for conclusions and recommendations to be drawn about envisioning a policy `mix? which can allow for these, otherwise independent, policy instruments to work together in order to improve environmental considerations that are built-in to the policy structure of Indonesian biodiesel.