Asia | Climate action

Indonesia’s tilt at King Coal

A major coal user signs a $20bn deal to help it reach net-zero emissions

Local youths Dzaki Ahmad Munawar, 11, Leon Atilla, 14, and Febryansyah, walk as they exercise at a hill of a village near the coal-fired power plant owned by Indonesia Power in Suralaya, Banten province, Indonesia, July 10, 2020. Picture taken July 10, 2020. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan - RC261J9PJO0J

Nov 16th 2022|NEW YORK and SINGAPORE

“Indonesia is committed to using our energy transition to achieve a green economy.” Thus Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s president, heralded on November 15th a new international accord designed to curb his country’s addiction to coal. The Just Energy Transition Partnership (jetp), a deal brokered by America and Japan among seven other wealthy countries, promises Indonesia $20bn in public and private financing from abroad to fuel its transition from dirty to clean energy. Negotiations with Vietnam, India and other countries in line for jetp deals have been bogged down, so a big success in Indonesia could be catalytic as well as momentous in itself.

This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Dethroning King Coal”