InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA — The civil society coalition under Just Coalition for Our Planet (JustCOP) urges the Indonesian government to immediately strengthen its commitment to carbon emission reduction. They assess that the direction of national energy policy is potentially hindering the achievement of global climate targets.
In an online discussion held on Monday (14/10/2025), Syaharani, Head of the Climate and Decarbonization Division at the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), revealed that Indonesia's carbon emission peak, which should be achieved by 2030, is now projected to be delayed until 2037.
"The energy sector emission peak is targeted to be delayed seven years from the projection in the Long Term Strategy – Low Carbon and Climate Resilience (LTS-LCCR) 2050 document," said Syaharani in an official statement written by InfoSAWIT, Wednesday (22/10/2025).
The discussion was also attended by Tri Purnajaya, Director of Economic and Environmental Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Torry Kuswardono, Coordinator of the Secretariat of the People's Alliance for Climate Justice.
Emission Targets Deviate from Initial Commitments
According to Syaharani, the delay in the emission peak target is reflected in the National Electricity General Plan (RUKN) 2024–2060, which predicts a surge in electricity production from coal-fired power plants peaking in 2037. In addition, the National Energy Policy (KEN) still places fossil energy at 79% in the energy mix by 2030.
"Indonesia's carbon emission reduction target in the Business as Usual (BAU) scenario for 2030 actually shows a 148% increase compared to 2010 emission levels," Syaharani explained.
She added that the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (ENDC) document prepared in 2022 has not yet included plans for early retirement of coal power plants, even though the energy sector is the largest contributor to national emissions.
If this trend continues, Indonesia is expected to exceed the threshold of 1.5°C global temperature increase from the pre-industrial era. "This means that even if the ENDC targets are met, national emissions remain high and risk exacerbating the climate crisis," she said.
Indonesia Has Not Yet Submitted SNDC Document to UN Secretariat
As of mid-October 2025, Indonesia has not submitted the Second Nationally Determined Contribution (SNDC) document to the Paris Agreement Secretariat, even though the submission deadline ended in September 2025. This document is the main reference in the discussions of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 30) scheduled for November.
Responding to this, Tri Purnajaya from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that Indonesia remains committed to submitting the SNDC soon. However, he asked the public to be realistic about the challenges faced by the government.
"Emission reduction commitments must be aligned with the 8% economic growth target. Indonesia is not the only one that has not submitted the SNDC — only about half of the Paris Agreement participating countries have done so," he said.
Civil Society Voices: Climate Policies Must Side with the People
In the same forum, Torry Kuswardono, Coordinator of the Secretariat of the People's Alliance for Climate Justice and Executive Director of the PIKUL Foundation, emphasized that climate mitigation policies should not sacrifice people's rights, especially vulnerable groups.
"Over the past ten years, at the grassroots level, communities' ability to adapt to climate change has actually weakened," he said.
Torry highlighted that industrial projects, such as nickel downstreaming in North Maluku and Central Sulawesi, have caused land grabs, agrarian conflicts, and environmental pollution. He assessed that protection for vulnerable groups — such as indigenous communities, people with disabilities, workers, and informal workers — is not yet visible in national climate policies.
Furthermore, Torry also criticized the minimal public participation in Indonesia's climate decision-making processes.
"Public consultation processes are often not transparent. Public participation is only symbolic — announced today, the policy is hammered out tomorrow," he stressed.
Torry called on the government to direct climate mitigation and adaptation policies towards small-scale, massive, and inclusive projects, not large-scale centralized projects that risk damaging ecosystems.
"Local communities better understand their needs. Food security development does not have to be done by opening forests, because forests are biodiversity fortresses that support life," he said.
The JustCOP coalition emphasizes that Indonesia's time to act is increasingly narrow. Delays in updating commitments and the postponement of emission peak targets will hinder the achievement of Paris Agreement goals and increase the risk of more severe climate crises in the future. (T2)
