Jakarta – The Indonesian government is drafting a Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC) that will be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in August 2024. In this effort, the civil society coalition emphasizes the importance of transparency in emissions data collection, reporting and verification.
“Updating the SNDC transparency system by setting clear and specific emission reduction targets per year is needed,” said Anindita Hapsari, Agriculture, Forestry, Land Use and Climate Change Analyst from the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), in the Media Briefing “Civil Society Recommendations for Indonesia’s SNDC” organized by IESR, Tuesday, June 25.
The government revealed at least three changes in preparing the emission reduction target set in the SNDC. First, 2019 emission data will be used as a reference base for measuring emission reductions. Second, data collection, reporting, and verification transparency will be updated. Third, emission reductions from the energy sector will be referred to as the National Energy Policy (KEN) RPP.
IESR considers the change in the reference year for emission reduction and the strengthening of transparency aspects steps forward. Calculating emission reductions that no longer use projected emissions without intervention or business as usual but use a reference year is a more actual and measurable approach because it is based on concrete historical data.
“The SNDC target must be aligned with the 1.5 degree Celsius scenario. The ambition and implementation must also align with relevant stakeholders’ involvement. However, the implementation of the SNDC will take place in 2031-2035, while climate crisis mitigation must continue. Therefore, the government needs to evaluate and strengthen the Enhanced NDC (ENDC) target that will be implemented in 2025-2030,” Anindita explained.
According to Anindita, the government needs to build credibility by ensuring the implementation of emission reduction targets. She emphasized that the government must adjust its strategy to close the gap between current emissions and the target in accordance with the 1.5-degree Celsius scenario.
“The government needs to identify and remove policies or regulations that are not in line to reduce emissions and hinder the achievement of the 1.5 degree Celsius target,” Anindita added.
Meanwhile, IESR Electricity System Analyst Akbar Bagaskara emphasized that emission reduction from the energy sector will be more measurable by setting a renewable energy mix target rather than using installed renewable energy capacity. Regarding setting emission reduction targets that refer to the KEN RPP, Akbar encouraged the government to increase the ambition for emission mitigation, including in the electricity and transportation sectors.
“Emission reduction strategies in the power sector, such as equipping coal-fired power plants with carbon capture technology (CCS/CCUS), are not effective and efficient in achieving net zero emission (NZE). The biomass cofiring strategy needs to be reviewed. In addition to considering the fulfilment of raw materials that are projected to require a minimum of 2.33 million hectares of Energy Plantation Forest, verification of emission reduction claims must also be carried out by considering emissions from the life cycle of the biomass,” Akbar said.
In addition to the RPP KEN, Akbar emphasized the alignment of the New Energy and Renewable Energy Bill (RUU EBET) with the SNDC goals. The bill still includes new coal-based energy technologies, such as liquefied coal and gasified coal, to produce Dimethyl Ether (DME) as a fuel to replace LPG. This is counterproductive to energy transition and climate action ideas and goals.
On the same occasion, Yayasan Madani Berkelanjutan Forest and Climate Program Staff Yosi Amelia explained that the forest and other land use (FOLU) sector was the largest contributor to emissions at around 50.1 per cent. The FOLU sector is expected to absorb more emissions than release them (net sink) in 2030 with the Low Carbon Compatible with Paris Agreement (LCCP) scenario to achieve zero emissions by 2060 or sooner. (Hartatik)