Youth response to Bahlil’s stance on the Paris Agreement: Energy transition must be a priority

Jakarta – Young people concerned about the climate crisis believe that the statement of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, indicating a desire to follow the steps of the United States under Donald Trump to leave the Paris Agreement, not only hinders the energy transition but also further strengthens Indonesia’s dependence on coal, which has long been considered the leading cause of environmental degradation and public health.

According to Dinayah Faza, Coordinator of Climate Rangers South Sumatra, in a statement on Tuesday, February 4, this decision further confirms the government’s alignment with the coal industry, even to the point of dragging academic institutions into exploiting natural resources.

“Instead of producing a thinking generation, campuses are directed to become players in the coal mining business. This is clearly against the function of education and will only worsen the climate crisis, which will impact us in the future,” said Dinayah.

She added that coal’s impact is already very real in South Sumatra, where air pollution is increasing, environmental quality is deteriorating, and the health impacts of coal combustion are increasingly burdening communities.

The direct impact of PLTU on the community

In various regions, the impact of coal-fired power plants is increasingly detrimental to the community. Rimba Zait, from Climate Rangers North Sumatra, stated that in Pangkalan Susu, Langkat Regency, the existence of PLTU has damaged the livelihood of local fishermen and farmers.

“Many people have lost their income due to sea and land pollution caused by the PLTU. We see how respiratory diseases increase, agricultural yields decline, and clean water is increasingly difficult to obtain,” said Rimba.

In line with this, Izzul Munna from Climate Rangers Cirebon believes that the government should accelerate the early retirement of PLTUs instead of strengthening the coal industry. In Cirebon, PLTUs in salt pond areas pollute seawater, which impacts the decline in the quality of local salt.

“The decision to remain dependent on coal will only prolong the community’s suffering. The potential for renewable energy in Indonesia is very large. It is just a matter of how the government facilitates public participation in its development,” said Izzul.

According to Masagus Fathan from Climate Rangers Jakarta, Indonesia’s dependence on fossil energy is very high. “Currently, around 53% of national electricity comes from coal-fired power plants (49.88 GW), 27% from PLTG (25.24 GW), and 5% from PLTD (4.64 GW),” he said.

“This proves we are still very much behind in the energy transition. Indonesia has more than 3,500 gigawatts of renewable energy potential from the sun, wind and water. There is no reason for the government to continue with dirty energy,” said Fathan.

He also highlighted that the government’s desire to follow the US’ steps ignores national energy sovereignty. “Stopping climate commitments just because the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement is a step that minimises Indonesia’s role in the international world. We should be showing leadership in a just and sustainable energy transition,” Fathan added.

Meanwhile, Sisilia Nurmala Dewi, 350.org’s Indonesia Team Leader, emphasised that in preparing the Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC), which has a deadline of February 2025, the government must strengthen its commitment to the energy transition.

“Transitioning to renewable energy is not only possible, it is urgent. By involving local communities, we can achieve the target faster and ensure the community feels the benefits directly,” said Sisilia.

According to her, many experiences have shown that community empowerment in renewable energy management can create a double impact of accelerating the energy transition while increasing local economic independence.

“Indonesia has huge clean energy potential. If managed well by local communities, we can build a sustainable energy system without relying on other countries’ policies. This is the real form of energy sovereignty,” Sisilia said. (Hartatik)

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