The energy sector is a key sector for climate stabilization. About 34% of global GHG emissions come from this sector (20 GtCO2-eq; 2019 data, IPCC 2023 In fact, GHG emissions from energy have been declining over the past decade (to 1% from 2.3% a decade ago). According to the IPCC (medium confidence), this decline in emissions is due to improvements in energy efficiency and a reduction in the intensity of energy supply, driven in part by a switch from coal to gas, a reduction in coal capacity additions, and an increase in the use of renewables.. In addition, the IPCC Assessment (2023) states with high confidence that “a rapid global low-carbon energy transition, enabled by financing to facilitate the deployment of low-carbon technologies in developing countries, and in particular in the least developed countries, could facilitate the achievement of climate stabilization goals”.
In Indonesia, the energy sector has been the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions since 2016 ( KLHK, 2023). About 56% of total GHG emissions in 2020 was contributed by this sector, exceeding the contribution of forestry and other land-based sectors (16%). In Indonesia’s NDC, about half of Indonesia’s GHG emission reduction plan will come from the energy sector. Furthermore, Indonesia’s main energy profile for 2021 shows that fossil fuels account for 88.5 percent of the total profile, with coal and oil accounting for the largest share of these fossil fuels (37.8 percent and 33.4 percent, respectively). Electricity generation contributes to GHG emissions across the energy sector (about 56% of total energy sector emissions in 2020), and was the fastest growing emissions area within the energy sector over the 2016-2020 period.
The transition from high-carbon to low-carbon societies and energy systems presents both risks and opportunities. These risks and opportunities need to be well understood and adequately anticipated by various parties, including academia, industry, and public policy. CCSF UI, in collaboration with AIPI, LIPI, DIPI, and the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia, organized a national discussion on climate change and a just energy transition from the perspective of science, innovation, and the new government’s policy direction. The event was held on January 18, 2024 at the National Library of the Republic of Indonesia and brought together the success teams of the new government candidates, regional heads, academics,researcher, economists, and the youth generation to jointly discuss the future of climate and energy transition in Indonesia. The following are the key points of the public discussion: Climate Change and Just Energy Transition: Science, Innovation and Policy Direction of the New Government:
