18 October 2024 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
350.org Indonesia to new President Prabowo Subianto: Fulfill commitment to triple renewable energy
As Prabowo Subianto formally assumes the presidency on October 20, 350.org Indonesia urges the new President of Indonesia to triple the country’s renewable energy capacity by 2030, in line with an ambitious commitment made by leaders of G20 countries last year.
Sisilia Nurmala Dewi, 350.org Indonesia Team Lead says:
“As the world’s largest coal exporter and one of the largest CO2 emitters in Asia, expectations are high for Indonesia to lead the way for a just energy transition in the region. Yet, Indonesia has failed to meet its renewable energy target for the past five years. The current share of renewable energy in the electricity mix remains unacceptably low at 13%, falling far short of our country’s exceptional potential. It is estimated that we are using a mere 0.3% of our national renewable energy potential. Given the country’s abundant resources and declining costs for solar and wind energy, tripling our renewable energy capacity is highly achievable.
Prabowo must prove that he is accountable to the Indonesian people and their aspirations for a sustainable future, not to the profit-driven coal industry. People will only support his call for ‘energy independence’ if this is based on clean and people-centered renewables, not on a fossil fuel economy that has wreaked havoc on many local communities while heating up the planet.
“As the world’s largest coal exporter and one of the largest CO2 emitters in Asia, expectations are high for Indonesia to lead the way for a just energy transition in the region. Yet, Indonesia has failed to meet its renewable energy target for the past five years.
As a start, Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) must include a concrete, time-bound, and ambitious plan to phase out fossil fuels, including the early retirement of coal plants. We will not stand for ‘false solutions’ that further destroy our forests and displace our people.
Sisilia Nurmala Dewi – Indonesia Team Lead
As a start, Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) must include a concrete, time-bound, and ambitious plan to phase out fossil fuels, including the early retirement of coal plants. It must also include a strong commitment to triple renewable energy capacity in a manner that is just and acceptable to the people. The public must be allowed and supported to participate at all times and on all levels of decision-making in the energy transition. We will not stand for ‘false solutions’ that further destroy our forests and displace our people.
We are concerned with shrinking democratic space as evidenced by the harassment of climate activists during the recent Global Climate Strike in Jakarta. With Prabowo’s military background and as Suharto’s son-in-law, civil society is rightfully agitated with the thought of another dictatorship. It is therefore even more important for Prabowo to listen closely to the demands of the people and prove himself a worthy leader.”
Notes to Editors:
- Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs are national climate action plans by each country under the Paris Agreement of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It embodies efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Countries are expected to submit their updated NDCs by February 2025, with Indonesia expected to announce its NDC before the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan this November.
Media contacts:
Sisilia Nurmala Dewi, 350.org Indonesia Team Lead: +6282110056308, sisilia.dewi@350.org
Ilang-Ilang Quijano, 350.org Asia Communications Manager: +639175810934, ilang.quijano@350.org