Jakarta – The organisation 350.org believes that Indonesia’s latest climate target document, or Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC), recently submitted by the government to the UNFCCC Secretariat, does not reflect a serious commitment to reducing carbon emissions or accelerating the transition to clean energy.
In their statement on Thursday, November 30, activists said that the small reduction in emissions, the slow pace of the coal phase-out plan, and the lack of public participation were signs that Indonesia was still far from ambitious global climate commitments.
“Indonesia’s climate targets are very disappointing. This is far from President Prabowo’s promise to achieve 100% renewable energy in 10 years and phase out coal in 15 years,” said Sisilia Nurmala Dewi, leader of the 350.org Indonesia team.
According to her, there is a huge gap between political rhetoric and actual policy on the ground. “This official policy shows a weak commitment to climate action and delays decisive steps that should have already been taken.”
In the submitted NDC, the government projects that national emissions will peak in 2030 with a reduction of only 8–17.5% compared to the previous scenario. After that, a new reduction will only be felt in 2035.
The share of renewable energy is only targeted at 19–23% by 2030 — a figure that is considered very low compared to the G20’s commitment to double clean energy capacity to around 40% by the same year.
The lack of a clear strategy to phase out fossil fuels
350.org assesses that the SNDC does not include concrete plans to stop the use of fossil fuels. There is no roadmap for the early retirement of coal-fired power plants, even though the energy sector is the largest contributor to emissions in Indonesia.
Furthermore, the document is still based on the assumption that economic growth must be accompanied by increased emissions. This view is considered erroneous, as a number of countries have proven that energy transition can go hand in hand with equitable economic growth.
Activists also highlight the government’s strategy of relying too heavily on the forestry and land use (FOLU) sector to cover up the slow pace of decarbonisation in the energy sector. “This approach only hides the failure of the energy sector to transition away from fossil fuels. The IPCC has confirmed that FOLU is indeed important, but it cannot replace the urgent need to cut emissions from the energy sector,” said Sisilia.
In addition to the content of the policy, the drafting process has also been questioned. The government held public consultations on October 23, the same day that the SNDC was officially submitted to the UNFCCC. This was seen as a formality without any meaningful space for civil society participation.
350.org urges the government to review the SNDC and develop a more ambitious and measurable strategy. “The government must stop hiding behind the forest and start facing the reality that Indonesia’s energy future depends on the courage to make decisions now, not later,” Sisilia said. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT (2024)
