Jakarta – Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) believes that the direction of the energy transition is still unclear due to the high dependence on fossil fuels, even though the energy transition to clean energy is an urgent necessity for Indonesia.
In a written statement, FWI Campaign, Advocacy and Media Manager Anggi Putra Prayoga criticises the government’s unclear steps in leaving fossil fuels. He said, “We are on the brink of environmental destruction if we do not take concrete action towards clean energy.”
Despite global pressure to reduce carbon emissions, FWI believes Indonesia’s dependency on coal, fuel mixtures and bioenergy impacts deforestation.
Prayoga said fossil energy destroyed Indonesia’s forests and nature, and pollution of water, sea, air, rivers, and land was the cause of the over-exploitation of natural resources. He said that with an emission reduction target of 385 million tons of CO2, concrete and strategic steps must be taken immediately to realise this change.
FWI recommends several steps to accelerate the energy transition, including accelerating renewable energy development such as solar, wind and water; stopping the construction of new coal-fired power plants (PLTU); shifting energy subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy; and encouraging more efficient energy use in the industrial, household and transportation sectors.
“The government must work with all parties, including to realise a fair and sustainable energy transition,” Prayoga said.
Data from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources states that national oil reserves in 2020 are expected to last only about 9.5 years. Meanwhile, coal reserves, with current production levels, are estimated to last up to 62.4 years. (Hartatik)
