Heaptalk, Jakarta — As the decarbonization era approaches, countries worldwide are racing to reduce carbon emissions and reach zero-carbon targets. Indonesia has a National Determined Contribution (NDC), a national policy to achieve zero carbon by 2060.
Prof. Edvin Aldrian, Vice Chair of Working Group 1 at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), acknowledged that climate change is a global goal and a national responsibility. Everyone wants to reach this target, even though it is an uphill task. Therefore, there needs to be a collective commitment, not only from the government but also from the public.
“To that end, the IPCC has introduced a new mechanism called the Global Stocktake. The first Global Stocktake was conducted in 2023 and will be repeated in 2028 and every five years thereafter. The entire world is being monitored via remote sensing to see if they are meeting their goals,” said Prof. Edvin in a discussion with Poempida Hidayatulloh, an environmental activist, on the Forum Carbon Indonesia YouTube channel.
Reaching 30% renewable energy in energy mix
Regarding Indonesia’s climate change mitigation efforts, the country is lagging in certain areas but is on par with other nations in some aspects. Edvin noted that Indonesia faces challenges in achieving its goals in the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sectors. The country also aims to reach approximately 30% renewable energy in its energy mix. Edvin is optimistic that all these targets are achievable through cooperation between the government and society.
On the other hand, the voluntary carbon market in Indonesia is expected to improve in the future. However, the current carbon exchange remains quiet, and the prices are not very attractive. Edvin voiced, “In the end, everyone will have to do it, and the market will naturally develop. People won’t be forced, but regulations will oblige them. For example, you must commit to environmental issues to sell your product internationally. How much you mitigate climate change will determine whether your product is competitive.”
All entities across various sectors, including energy, forestry, banking, insurance, and infrastructure, must follow these regulations. Those who fail to comply will be left behind. Edvin emphasized his vision to ensure all companies adhere to carbon market regulations.
For instance, companies must comply with carbon market rules in sectors such as shipping and logistics. Ultimately, every industry will need to account for its emissions. Many companies cannot fully disclose their emission factors since the technology, such as carbon markets and carbon capture from waste products, is relatively new. However, eventually, everyone will need to understand this due to regulatory requirements.
“Climate change is a shared problem for all of us. While its impact may not be the same for everyone, we all have a collective responsibility to make the Earth a better place for future generations. This is our goal. We can achieve the right technology by improving the energy sector, waste management, forestry, and ocean health with the right technology. Indonesia has much to do, but it’s achievable,” Edvin concluded.
