Indonesia Advised to Speed Up Development of Clean Energy

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - A number of foreign embassies have advised Indonesia to speed up the process of phasing out the use of fossil energy.

The country should immediately embark on the program to mass produce clean energy to achieve its target of cutting green house gas emissions 29 percent in 2020-2030, they said.

"The issue of climate change is complex , but it is easy if we just follow the result of the Conference of Paris (COP) that asked us to stop burning coal," Norwegian Ambassador Stig Traavik said.

Traavik stressed the urgency of immediate development of new and renewable energy to end dependence on fossil energy.

Through research and development, Indonesia could do a lot to produce new and renewable energy, the ambassador said here on Tuesday.

Meanwhile U.S. Ambassador Robert O Blake said he hoped for a more ambitious agreement to reduce gas emissions.

All already knew the key that a permanent policy to reduce gas emissions is necessary, Blake said.

He said the target set by the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) that renewable energy would make up 23 percent of the country's total energy requirement in 2025 needs stressing.

The envoy said innovation is important in development of clean renewable energy.

"In COP 21 (a conference on sustainable innovation forum) President Jokowi and President Obama took part in public, private and government commitment to increase research and development of new and renewable energy in the next several years," he said.

He said the United States also seeks to cut gas emissions by reducing emissions of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), which is very destructive, and slashing fuel consumption per kilometer and the use of coal to fuel power plant.

British Ambassador Moazzam Malik said Indonesia's choice to meet its energy requirement in two to five years to come is crucial.

Indonesia is expected to rank among 15 major developing countries with the highest economic growth in Asia and with a 15 percent increase in energy requirement per year, Malik said.

If coal has to be used by Indonesia , the fuel material has to be processed using modern coal fired power plants, he said.

Similar advice was given by German Ambassador to Indonesia, Timor Leste and ASEAN Georg Wiischel saying Indonesia needs to grow.

Growth would need electricity for its industry and transport sector, Wiischel said.
However, he warned against the use of power generating facility that emits dangerous gases .

The country should use environmentally friendly power generating plants, he said.

If coal has to be the main fuel to generate electric energy, Indonesia should use a modern and clean power generating facility, he added. (WDY)