Centre for Energy Research Asia

What Centre for Energy Research Asia does

Yayasan Indonesia Cerah, operating as Centre for Energy Research Asia (CERAH), is an independent Indonesian non-profit foundation (yayasan) founded in 2017 and headquartered in Tebet, South Jakarta. It functions as a policy research and advocacy organization focused on accelerating Indonesia's energy transition and addressing the climate crisis. Its core deliverable is evidence-based research combined with multi-stakeholder advocacy, executed through six thematic programs: driving coal financing divestment (the #BersihkanBankmu / #CleanUpYourBank campaign), energy subsidy reform, accelerating coal phase-out commitments, strengthening transition minerals competitiveness (nickel, copper, bauxite), raising public climate crisis awareness, and publications. CERAH produces original quantitative research — including quantification of coal-related deaths (approximately 10,500 in 2022), Belt and Road Initiative energy financing analysis (USD 900M/year renewable redirect potential), regional readiness surveys across four provinces, and student perception surveys — and distributes it free of charge via its website (cerah.or.id) and active social media channels.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its 'product' is intellectual output (reports, articles, media insights) and coalition-driven advocacy. It collaborates with a broad ecosystem including government bodies (Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources), civil society coalitions (WALHI, Greenpeace Indonesia, the #BersihkanBankmu coalition), academic and research institutions (University of Indonesia, IPB, BRIN, BMKG, Seoul National University), media (Bisnis Indonesia), and international donors (Ford Foundation, GSCC). CERAH does not operate a commercial revenue model — it is funded through grant funding and research partnerships, with all publications freely accessible. Its primary 'customer' set comprises government policymakers, civil society organizations, academic and research institutions, and media/journalists, all reached through a community-led, content-driven go-to-market motion. The legal entity is Yayasan Indonesia Cerah, a private non-profit foundation incorporated in Indonesia with 1-10 employees and no parent company.

Name

Centre for Energy Research Asia

Legal name

Yayasan Indonesia Cerah

Website

https://cerah.or.id

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yayasan Indonesia Cerah (CERAH) is an independent Indonesian non-profit foundation, founded in 2017 in Jakarta, that conducts policy research and advocacy to accelerate Indonesia's energy transition. It serves government policymakers, civil society, academia, and media through evidence-based reports on coal divestment, energy subsidies, and transition minerals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jakarta

HQ country

Indonesia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Research Partnerships: As a non-profit foundation (Yayasan), CERAH operates primarily through grant funding from institutional donors (e.g., Ford Foundation) and research partnerships with other organizations and government bodies. No commercial product or service revenue is described.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CERAH is an Indonesian non-profit foundation that conducts evidence-based policy research and advocacy on energy transition, climate change mitigation, and just energy transition. It produces freely accessible publications (research reports, analytical articles, and quarterly digital media insights) and runs six advocacy programs covering coal financing divestment, energy subsidy reform, accelerated coal phase-out, transition minerals competitiveness, and public climate awareness. Its work is aimed at Indonesian policymakers, civil society, financial institutions, media, and academic institutions.

Product overview

CERAH (Yayasan Indonesia Cerah) is a policy research and advocacy foundation operating as a single unified offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core products consist of research publications (reports and articles on energy transition, climate policy, coal divestment, critical minerals, and regional energy studies) and six thematic advocacy programs covering coal financing divestment (#BersihkanBankmu), energy subsidy reform, phased coal phase-out acceleration, transition minerals competitiveness, and public climate awareness. Additionally, CERAH produces CERAH Digital Insights, a quarterly media monitoring product tracking critical mineral discourse in Indonesian digital civic space. The organization does not offer software products, APIs, or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CERAH Publications (Reports and Articles) Research publications including in-depth reports and analytical articles on Indonesia's energy transition, climate policy, coal financing, renewable energy, critical minerals, and environmental justice. Includes coverage of RUPTL analysis, NDC assessments, and regional energy transition readiness studies. Distributed free of charge to government policymakers, civil society, media, and academia.
• CERAH Digital Insights on Critical Minerals Quarterly media monitoring and analysis reports tracking critical mineral issues in Indonesia, including narrative trends, key actors, and public discourse framing in digital civic space. Monitors national and regional online media as well as X (Twitter) conversations.
• Driving Coal Financing Divestment Program (#BersihkanBankmu Campaign) Advocacy program encouraging Indonesian financial institutions to identify risks of stranded fossil fuel assets and adopt robust climate risk transparency, pushing for coal financing divestment under ESG standards via the #BersihkanBankmu campaign.
• Energy Subsidy Reform Program Policy advocacy program advocating for transformation of Indonesia's energy subsidy system to make it more targeted and impactful, redirecting fossil fuel subsidies toward clean, affordable renewable energy infrastructure.
• Accelerating Phased Coal Phase-Out Commitment Program Advocacy program for accelerated and just energy transition through evidence-based narratives pushing for coal-fired power plant (PLTU) phase-out scenarios and acceleration of solar energy deployment up to 100 GW in national power sector planning.
• Transition Minerals Competitiveness Program Program strengthening Indonesia's bargaining power in the global clean energy supply chain by ensuring sustainable domestic mineral downstream sector development through industrial decarbonization and reducing fossil fuel reliance for nickel, copper, and bauxite.
• Climate Crisis Public Awareness Program Public awareness initiative connecting energy and climate issues to daily life aspects including health, air quality, household economic resilience, and Indonesia's environmental future to fuel policy changes for effective energy transition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research showed Indonesia received USD 9.3 billion from Belt and Road Initiative in 2024, with 56% of energy sector financing flowing to renewable energy — up from ~14% during 2006–2022
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Strategic Communication Council (GSCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSCC is a strategic network partner with which CERAH collaborates to amplify climate action and energy transition communication efforts. The partnership focuses on strategic communication to drive climate awareness and policy engagement.
• NGO SourceminorOthersNGO Source provides organizational credibility and transparency accreditation for CERAH as a non-profit entity. This accreditation serves as a quality assurance marker for the organization's credibility as a civil society actor.
• Koalisi #BersihkanBankmu (Coalition)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERAH participates in the #BersihkanBankmu coalition which tracks bank financing of coal. The coalition documented that between 2021–2024, Indonesian financial institutions provided US$7.2 billion in loans to coal companies, with five major banks (Mandiri, BRI, BNI, BCA, Permata) accounting for US$5.6 billion. CERAH uses this data to advocate for coal divestment and climate risk transparency.
• Ministry of Home Affairs (Indonesia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ministry of Home Affairs co-supported the Regional Readiness for the Energy Transition Survey conducted by CERAH and Aksara Research and Consulting, examining governance, institutional capacity, and local government readiness across four provinces.
• Climate Action TrackerminorOthersClimate Action Tracker is referenced by CERAH as an independent assessment body that rated Indonesia's current NDC as 'critically insufficient' to align with the 1.5°C temperature limit. CERAH cites this assessment to reinforce advocacy for stronger climate commitments.
• Center for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERAH partnered with CELIOS to conduct joint research on six local governments (Central Java, East Java, North Sumatra, Cilacap, Probolinggo, Langkat) regarding their involvement in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) policy. The research found local governments were largely unaware and uninvolved in JETP implementation despite direct regional impacts.
• Aksara Research and ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERAH collaborated with Aksara Research and Consulting for the 'Regional Readiness for the Energy Transition Survey,' a comprehensive assessment of four provinces' preparedness to implement Indonesia's energy transition agenda.
• Suara Mahasiswa UI (Suma UI) — University of IndonesiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERAH conducted a joint survey with Suara Mahasiswa UI (a student activity unit at University of Indonesia) to assess student perceptions of green jobs opportunities and challenges. The survey found 71% of students see green jobs as exciting opportunities and 98% believe green jobs can contribute positively to environment and society.
• Indikator Politik IndonesiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndikator Politik Indonesia partnered with CERAH to conduct a survey targeting young Indonesians aged 17–35 ahead of the 92nd Sumpah Pemuda anniversary and COP26 Glasgow, examining young people's concerns about the climate crisis.
• Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRIN researchers (alongside BMKG and IPB) collaborated with CERAH on research regarding the climate crisis impact on rice and coffee production. BRIN meteorology and climate experts contributed to the analysis.
• Indonesian Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBMKG climate and meteorological experts partnered with CERAH (alongside BRIN and IPB) on research quantifying climate change impacts on Indonesia's rice and coffee agricultural productivity, including sea level rise projections and El Nino/La Nina effects on coffee yields.
• Bogor Agricultural University (IPB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPB agricultural and climate experts collaborated with CERAH on research on climate crisis impacts on Indonesia's rice and coffee sectors, assessing productivity decline projections due to climate change.
• Prof Edvin Aldrian — Vice-Chair of UNFCCC WG1minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf Edvin Aldrian, Vice-Chair of UNFCCC Working Group 1, led a research team including CERAH, BRIN, BMKG, and IPB experts to produce the climate crisis impact report on Indonesian rice and coffee production (launched November 2022).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 350.org Indonesia: Global climate movement with active Indonesia chapter focused on fossil fuel divestment, coal phase-out, and renewable energy advocacy. Directly comparable movement-building, divestment-campaign orientation, and Indonesia-based advocacy footprint.
• Center for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS): Indonesian economic policy think tank and CERAH's documented research partner on JETP local government engagement. Operates as a peer think tank producing economic analyses on climate and energy transition in Indonesia.
• Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan: Indonesian sustainability foundation working on natural resource governance, climate policy, and just energy transition advocacy. Operates with a similar grant-funded NGO model focused on Indonesia's domestic climate and land-use policy reform.
• WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia): Indonesia's largest environmental advocacy federation and a CERAH coalition partner. Directly comparable as a mass-membership Indonesian environmental NGO running campaigns on coal, climate, and energy justice with similar advocacy channels.
• Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR): Indonesian energy policy think tank producing rigorous research on renewable energy, coal phase-out, and power sector planning (RUPTL). Directly comparable to CERAH in mission, methodology, and target audience of government and civil society stakeholders.

Emerging players

• BankTrack: International coalition tracking bank financing of fossil fuels. Comparable to CERAH's #BersihkanBankmu coalition work on coal divestment advocacy and provides coalition methodology and global bank-financing data that complements CERAH's domestic Indonesia focus.

Broad incumbents

• Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA): Global research organization tracking fossil fuel financing and energy transition economics. IEEFA's work on Indonesian coal financing and bank divestment overlaps directly with CERAH's #BersihkanBankmu campaign and provides comparable financial-flow research methodology.
• World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia: Global research organization with Indonesia program producing data-driven analysis on energy, forests, and climate. Operates at substantially larger scale but with overlapping energy transition research and policy advisory output for Indonesian government.
• Climate Action Tracker (CAT): Independent scientific assessment body referenced by CERAH that rates countries' climate commitments. Operates at higher geographic scale but uses comparable evidence-based methodology to influence Indonesian energy and climate policy discourse.
• Greenpeace Indonesia: Listed as a CERAH coalition partner. A larger international NGO with significantly broader campaign scope and funding base, providing an incumbent benchmark for climate advocacy scale and reach in Indonesia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CerahID
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQX7bRSy-pH73y6X2T8I7DA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cerahID
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indonesiacerah
• Instagraminstagram.com/cerah_indonesiaku

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Energy Research Asia