Gov’t stresses commitment to environment action

Head of the Presidential Staff (KSP) Moeldoko during a meeting with the German Ambassador for Indonesia, Ina Lepel, here on Monday, asserted that the Republic of Indonesia (RI) has a strong commitment to fixing the environment.

“This is proven by Indonesia’s commitment during the Paris Agreement, and the COP26 (26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties) in Glasgow, Scotland,” he elaborated.

He then underlined the necessity of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Germany, primarily in the green economy and environmental conservation.

The government will a build hydropower plant in North Kalimantan that can generate up to 11 thousand megawatts (MW) of electricity to support the green industry, he informed.

Indonesia has currently started to reduce consumption of coal as a fuel source, he noted. However, he said that the shift from coal to renewable energy will require hard work.

In addition, turning Indonesia into a net-zero emission country by 2060 will necessitate large financing, he added.

“We believe that we have the resources for renewable energy, namely water, sun, and ocean. Germany is very advanced in that sector,” Moeldoko affirmed.

“Further exploration may be required for German investors to delve into these resources,” he said.

The bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Germany has been strengthened through the Joint Declaration for a Comprehensive Partnership since 2012, he added.

The two countries have agreed to develop their partnership in economy, education, research and technology, health, defense industry, food security, and transportation, he noted.

Bilateral relations between the countries improved further through President Joko Widodo’s official visit to Berlin, Germany, in 2016, he said.

At the time, President Widodo and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel had agreed to bolster the nations’ strategic partnership in vocational education, renewable energy, and maritime cooperation.

Moeldoko said that he expects Germany and Indonesia to once more strengthen cooperation after a new chancellor is installed in Germany.

“We believe that, in terms of climate change, sustainable finance, and energy efficiency, there is plenty of room for dialogue between Indonesia and Germany,” Lepel affirmed, according to a press statement issued by KSP.

“We expect that there will be many more exchanges (ministerial visit) both bilaterally and through the G20 framework,” she added.

The German ambassador also lauded the commitment of the Indonesian government to handling the problem of climate change.

 

Source: Antara News