UMS Students Secure Climate Innovation Grant with #SemarangTanpaSisa Initiative

Another proud achievement has been made by a student of Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS). Abi Umaroh, a student Master of Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Science (FHIP) UMS, successfully won the Mini Grant Award worth Rp10 million and was named the second-best paper at the Youth Climate Impact Fellowship (YCIF) 2025.

Abi earned the award through his innovative proposal titled “#SemarangTanpaSisa: Efforts to Reduce Food Waste in Semarang City”, which focuses on integrated organic waste management. The program combines maggot cultivation, community-based ecoenzyme production, and the use of submarine bioreactors to generate renewable energy and strengthen the community’s circular economy.

“This idea stemmed from my concern about the condition of the Jatibarang landfill in Semarang, which has exceeded its capacity. Around 61 percent of the city’s total waste volume consists of food waste. This situation motivated me to create a concrete, community-driven solution involving collaboration among local residents and young people,” said Abi in an interview on Tuesday (4/11/2025).

Through this project, he will collaborate with the Muhammadiyah Students Association (IPM) of Central Java as a partner in empowering students to transform food waste into valuable and eco-friendly products. He hopes this movement can serve as a pilot project for changing organic waste management behavior among young people.

Abi explained that the #SemarangTanpaSisa program will involve 25 students as environmental change agents. The initiative has also gained support from the Environmental Agency (DLH) of Semarang City, the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) of Semarang City, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang (Unimus), and the Environmental Council of Muhammadiyah Regional Board (PWM) Central Java.

“First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to the Director of CSIS and the Director of YPM, along with their teams, for trusting us with this seed funding. With the provided funds, we aim to create meaningful environmental impact, especially among students,” Abi said.

He also expressed his pride in being able to exchange ideas with other participants from various regions, including Medan, Denpasar, East Kutai, and Semarang, in designing sustainable environmental programs.

The prestigious national-level competition was organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in collaboration with the Youth Participation Foundation (YPM) and took place at Hotel Aston Pluit, North Jakarta, from 26–29 October 2025. The event brought together young people from various regions to innovate in addressing climate change issues in Indonesia.

The Youth Climate Impact Fellowship (YCIF) program itself is a collaboration between CSIS and YPM aimed at enhancing the capacity of young generations in developing inclusive climate policies and actions. The program involved participants from four regions, Medan, Semarang, East Kalimantan, and Bali, featuring a series of activities such as workshops, policy hackathons, pitching competitions, and the awarding of Mini Grant Awards for the best ideas.

After receiving the grant, Abi plans to implement his program directly in Semarang City through the Environmental School of IPM Central Java. The initiative will also include a provincial-scale digital environmental campaign to expand the movement’s reach and encourage greater youth involvement.

“The #SemarangTanpaSisa initiative is expected to become a model for sustainable organic waste management in Indonesia, while also strengthening the role of UMS students in promoting environmental innovation that creates tangible impact for society,” he concluded.

Writer: Yusuf Ismail

Editor: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid