THE nation’s electric vehicle drive is likely to overtake its ambitious biodiesel programme within a decade, but will only achieve its aim of helping curb climate change if the country ramps up clean energy investment, environmental researchers say.
The South-East Asian nation – home to the world’s third-largest tropical forests – has steadily increased the share of its biodiesel mandate derived from palm oil since 2018, despite the risk that could fuel deforestation.
In 2018, Jakarta introduced a three-year freeze on new permits for palm plantations in a bid to help reduce the loss of forests cleared to produce the vegetable oil, used widely in cosmetics, food products and biofuel.
But if the plantation moratorium is renewed this month when it expires, green groups say the country may struggle to produce an adequate supply of biodiesel made entirely from palm oil.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has targeted so-called “green diesel” to help curb fuel imports and the country’s emissions, and to bolster demand after moves by the European Union to restrict use of palm oil-based biofuels.
Indonesia has also set its sights on becoming an electric vehicle (EV) hub for Asia, and in June said it aimed to sell only electric cars and motorcycles by 2050.
Danny Marks, assistant professor of environmental politics and policy at Dublin City University, said the dual biodiesel and EV policies would not remain compatible beyond the next decade or so, once electric vehicles dominate the market.
“Indonesia should prioritise ramping up EVs in order to meet its international climate goals,” he added.
Electric vehicles help ease air pollution from diesel and petrol fumes, and reduce costly oil imports.
If the electricity that powers them is from renewable sources, they can also help meet emissions reduction targets to limit climate change.
Under the Paris Agreement to tackle global warming, Indonesia – among the world’s top carbon polluters – committed to cut its emissions by 29% by 2030 versus business-as-usual levels, and in July said it hoped to reach a net-zero emissions goal by 2060 or sooner.
“Pushing biodiesel is not a long-term viable strategy to transition from fossil fuels,” said Marks, citing palm oil’s role in driving forest loss and fires, which significantly increase carbon emissions.
Indonesia was named as one of the top four countries for rainforest loss in 2020, according to Global Forest Watch, a monitoring service that uses satellite data.
Two years ago, Joko signed a decree outlining government support for the EV industry in a bid to rein in carbon emissions and capitalise on Indonesia’s metals resources, which are used to make batteries for electric transport.
The government has set a target of putting 13 million electric motorbikes – including converted conventional ones – and 2.2 million electric cars on the roads by 2030. — Reuters
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