Jakarta – tanahair.net, a media partner of the Indonesia Energy Transition Dialogue (IETD) 2024, recently organised a quiz on this platform. We congratulate Bramanto Geritno, Rahmi Kasri and Firdaus Cahyadi as selected winners with event tickets as prizes. All three participants tackled the question: What key steps should the new Indonesian government prioritise to accelerate the energy transition in the next five years?
Bramanto Geritno’s Perspective
Bramanto opened the discussion by referencing Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation No. 13/2024 on Gross Split Production Sharing Contracts, suggesting that Indonesia’s new government could implement a short-term strategy to promote cleaner fossil energy.
“Implementation, namely by making carbon emission calculations in the work/exploration method,” he explained. “The results of calculating the lowest and most credible carbon emissions become one of the parameters for selecting the winning contractor.”
Bramanto suggested a medium-term strategy through transparent budget allocation commitments, emphasising social responsibility and clean energy diversification. He proposed “Building diversification of clean non-fossil energy sources with local resources through the development of local SMEs and their utilisation for the community around the exploration. ”
Long-term strategies should include fostering a supportive ecosystem through the Special Working Unit (SKK) for Upstream Oil and Gas, emphasising socialisation, assistance, and funding to enter the International Carbon Market. “This strategy is a form of integrity to succeed in the global consensus on climate change issues, where economic growth can play a direct role, saving ecosystems due to global warming,” Bramanto noted.
However, the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) Research manager Raden Raditya Yudha Wiranegara, raised critical questions, asking if these calculations considered existing oil and gas fields or only new ones and questioning the lack of specific examples. “How will the CSR program continue after the company finishes its operations?” he asked, voicing concerns about whether abandoned assets might proliferate due to underprepared beneficiary communities.
Rahmi Kasri’s call for inclusive energy access
Rahmi Kasri emphasised Sustainable Development Goal 7, which calls for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy services for all. Kasri argued that equitable development requires structured affirmative action from the government through regulation and policy that promotes renewable infrastructure and incentivizes local governments and communities.
“The government needs to conduct stakeholder mapping so that all can be actively involved,” Rahmi explained, noting that this requires inclusive awareness-raising and the mobilisation of all community levels, including vulnerable groups.
Raditya, however, questioned whether incentives alone would suffice without granting local authorities more power. “For example, Banten Province, a province that is the electricity granary of the Jamali system due to a large number of operating coal-fired power plants (PLTUs)… they want to increase the renewable energy mix, but do not have the authority to prevent or stop PLTU operations,” he noted.
Rahmi clarified that transitioning communities that depend on fossil fuels will require comprehensive preparation for livelihoods and ongoing governmental support. “To become a culture and be sustainable, the government, supported by all parties, needs to monitor, evaluate, make improvements, and provide incentives for good changes that have occurred,” she added, calling for inclusivity in planning and implementation.
Firdaus Cahyadi’s vision for a just energy transition
Firdaus Cahyadi underscored the importance of a just energy transition, pushing for policies that recognise both environmental and social dimensions. Cahyadi’s recommendations included halting coal concessions to religious organizations, limiting credit to fossil sectors, and expanding incentives for community-scale renewable projects.
“The new government must be more serious about a just energy transition,” Firdaus emphasised, advocating for steps like renegotiating JETP (Just Energy Transition Partnership) funding to minimise foreign debt and reviewing large-scale renewable projects to address potential human rights and environmental risks.
The diversity in perspectives underscores the complexity of Indonesia’s energy transition. While participants agreed on the need for structured, transparent, and equitable strategies, they highlighted different focal points, from regulatory reform and stakeholder empowerment to the importance of a just transition. (nsh)
