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Trend Asia criticizes the 2024 vice-presidential candidates for offering technical 'gimmicks' rather than substantive solutions for grassroots issues. The organization argues that the candidates' visions for energy transition and sustainable development remain rooted in extractivism, ignore the legal and social vulnerabilities of local communities, and rely on 'false solutions' like CCUS and geothermal energy while failing to address the structural causes of the climate crisis and the harms of the coal industry.

The report highlights a significant increase in Indonesia's captive coal power capacity, which grew from 1.4 GW in 2013 to 10.8 GW in 2023. This expansion is primarily driven by the metal industry, particularly nickel and aluminium smelters, as part of a national strategy to increase the added value of natural resources. The authors argue that the government's current energy transition efforts focus too narrowly on the utility grid, ignoring the substantial emissions from captive plants. They recommend that the USD 20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) funding be used to establish a clear retirement pathway for these industrial coal plants to avoid significant health and economic burdens.

The document highlights a surge in 'captive' coal power—plants operated off-grid by industrial users—which grew from 1.4 GW in 2013 to 10.8 GW in 2023. A vast majority of this capacity is dedicated to metal smelting, particularly nickel and aluminium, often justified by policies to increase the 'value add' of natural resources. The report warns that while Indonesia is a key supplier of minerals for the global energy transition, the reliance of these smelters on coal contradicts national climate targets and the goals of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). It recommends integrating the phase-out of captive coal power into national plans to avoid significant health costs and carbon emissions.

The document analyzes the organizational structure, funding, and implementation challenges of South Africa's JETP, highlighting the gap between policy targets and practical execution. It compares the energy landscapes of South Africa and Indonesia, emphasizing the critical need for transmission grid upgrades and the social protection of coal-dependent regions. Key recommendations for Indonesia include ensuring broad government consensus, translating commitments into legislation, and prioritizing social benefits to ensure a truly 'just' transition.

The SRMI-Resilience program aims to deploy 2.16 GW of renewable energy and reduce GHG emissions by 55.01 million tons of CO2eq across Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Seychelles, Somalia, Tajikistan, and Tunisia. The initiative combines technical assistance, public investments in grid resilience, and risk mitigation instruments to unlock an estimated USD 1.8 billion in private investment. Key adaptation goals include providing 3.2 million people with electricity to power cooling systems during heat waves and upgrading grid infrastructure to withstand climate hazards like floods and cyclones.

The report analyzes the contradictions between Indonesia's climate commitments and its energy planning, highlighting a significant oversupply of fossil fuel capacity and the risks of relying on 'false solutions' like biomass and ammonia co-firing.

The document analyzes fuel subsidies for Indonesia's marine fisheries, noting they are the most consistent form of central government support. It highlights risks of overfishing and inefficient distribution, suggesting that lessons from broader fossil fuel subsidy reforms could improve targeting and sustainability.

Public international finance dominates Indonesia's blue finance, while commercial banks are the primary private sources. MSMEs, particularly in the fisheries sector, face significant barriers to accessing formal credit due to physical collateral requirements and a lack of credit history. While most MSME loans are concentrated in Java, the highest growth is observed in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The report recommends reducing entry barriers, investing in human capacity, and improving infrastructure to spur private investment in the blue economy.

The report inventories 78 support measures for Indonesia's energy sector between FY 2016 and FY 2020, covering oil and gas, coal, electricity, renewable energy, biofuels, and electric vehicles (EVs). It details various mechanisms including direct fund transfers, tax exemptions, and price supports, noting that only 37% of these measures were quantified due to data limitations.

The document details the status of five rhino species. The greater one-horned rhino and white rhino show recovery trends, while the Javan, Sumatran, and black rhinos remain critically threatened. Poaching is a universal threat across all species, with climate change and habitat loss specifically impacting the greater one-horned rhino.

The document examines the potential for Indonesian subnational governments to issue green bonds to meet the national target of 23% renewable energy by 2025. While some provincial governments in Java are eligible based on Ministry of Finance criteria, issuance is hindered by complex bureaucratic procedures, a lack of profitable project pipelines, and investor preference for high credit ratings over 'green' labels. The authors recommend simplifying issuance requirements, implementing clearer central government policies on renewable energy tariffs and tax incentives, and targeting quasi-government institutions as initial investors.

The report investigates the potential for municipal green bonds to support Indonesia's goal of 23% renewable energy by 2025. While provincial governments in Java and Bali generally meet fiscal eligibility criteria, no municipal bonds have been successfully issued as of 2021. Key barriers include complex bureaucratic procedures, a lack of profitable project pipelines, and a conservative investor market primarily motivated by credit ratings and commercial returns rather than green mandates. The authors recommend simplifying issuance requirements, providing clearer central government policy signals, and targeting quasi-government institutions as initial investors.

The document assesses Indonesia's energy landscape in 2020-2021, highlighting a trend where the government continues to support fossil fuels, particularly coal, despite global shifts toward green recovery. It details the decline in fuel and LPG subsidies due to the pandemic, the promotion of coal derivatives like dimethyl ether (DME) to reduce LPG imports, and the regulatory and financial hurdles facing renewable energy projects.

The document analyzes Indonesia's energy landscape in 2020-2021, noting a decline in fuel and LPG subsidies due to lower international prices and reduced consumption. It highlights a contradictory policy direction where the government provides fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for coal derivatives to replace LPG imports, while renewable energy projects face significant delays in financial closing and regulatory uncertainty. The briefing also details the role of floating solar PV and Green Sukuk in the energy transition, alongside the macroeconomic impact of the pandemic on state revenue and the power sector's capacity projections.

The document examines Indonesia's energy landscape from 2015 to 2020, highlighting the volatility of fuel and LPG subsidies and the severe disruption caused by COVID-19. It details the financial strain on state-owned enterprises PT Pertamina and PT PLN, the government's continued reliance on coal despite climate commitments, and the regulatory hurdles facing renewable energy. Key policy shifts include new fuel pricing formulas and a restructuring plan for PT PLN to focus on distribution over generation.

The policy brief argues that Indonesia must implement a robust pricing mechanism to prevent a return to expensive fuel subsidies, which contribute to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It recommends pricing models such as smoothing, ratcheting, or price caps and floors to reduce price fluctuations while phasing out subsidies for polluting fuels. The brief suggests redirecting subsidy savings toward low-emission infrastructure, including public transport and electric vehicle charging stations, and improving biofuel governance. It notes that while 2015 reforms saved over USD 15 billion, subsidies have persisted and pricing has remained stagnant despite rising international oil prices.

Indonesia is currently off target for its 2025 renewable energy goals, with installed capacity at 9.4 GW by the end of 2018, failing to meet the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources' target of 15.5 GW. The report identifies a 'trilemma' where the government struggles to simultaneously keep electricity tariffs low, maintain low subsidy costs, and meet renewable targets. To address this, the authors recommend a moratorium on new coal plants, a massive scale-up of rooftop solar, a shift from biofuels to bioenergy, and a revamp of the pricing mechanism to reflect full economic costs rather than just the local average generation cost (BPP).

The document argues that Indonesia's coal price cap, designed to protect the finances of the state-owned utility PLN, acts as a subsidy that locks out renewable energy. By capping coal prices at USD 70 per tonne, the government reduces operational costs for coal plants, making it difficult for renewables to compete under a pricing system based on average generation costs (BPP). The brief suggests alternative policies, such as windfall taxes on coal or 'polluter pays' principles, to support PLN without disadvantaging clean energy.

The report examines the health and economic costs of coal in Indonesia, highlighting the link between coal combustion and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It argues that the Indonesian government's continued subsidies for coal, which reached USD 946 million in 2014, contradict public health needs and the availability of cheaper renewable energy alternatives.

The report analyzes the governance and utilization of Indonesia's Village Fund, finding that while the fund has grown significantly and is a major revenue source for villages, it is predominantly spent on transportation infrastructure. The authors identify five key challenges—including a lack of technical capacity, misaligned planning between village and district levels, and insufficient regulatory guidelines—that hinder the fund's potential to support environmental conservation and sustainable land use. To address these, the report recommends integrating village priorities into district planning, empowering the Village and Community Empowerment Office, creating specific sustainability guidelines, adopting a 'negative-list' for spending, and introducing a sustainability variable into the fund's allocation formula.