Jakarta – Senior economist and environmental leader, Prof. Emil Salim, criticized Indonesia for not making 2050 the target year for achieving net zero emissions.
“Indonesia chose 2060 as the target to achieve net-zero emissions. That is far from the target of other countries,” said Prof Emil in the Kompas Talks event with Greenpeace “Funding Opportunities in the Implementation of a Green Economy”, Tuesday (5/4).
The decree from the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources in 2021 provides a preference for the construction of coal-fired power plants. Coal supply to the State Electricity Company (PLN) is even given a subsidy price of only US$70.
“Therefore, exporters can export on condition that they sell coal for PLTU, so our energy policy is still encouraging coal. Then, the finance minister in her 2019 policy will still provide greater incentives for dirty energy than clean energy,” he said.
At that time, the tax holiday policy was given to investors who invested their capital using fossil energy sources which were considered dirty. “If the government has not taken the initiative, how will the Indonesian people progress,” Salim added.
He said, the policy reflects that Indonesia is still dependent on fossil energy or dirty energy. Meanwhile, the world is currently trying to encourage the development of a green economy to mitigate climate change. One of the way to develop green economy is by switching from the use of coal energy to solar power.
Salim said that the world is expected to develop imaginative ideas by changing the pattern of development based on coal and oil to a green-based economy. (Hartatik)
