VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Professor Emil Salim of University of Indonesia (UI). ANTARA/Astrid Faidlatul Habibah - 

The use of fossil energy to usher in the fourth industrial revolution, known as industry 4.0, in Indonesia increases the production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gas emissions, according to an economist cum environmentalist.

"The key to the industrial revolution is energy. Fossil fuel is the energy that boosts (the production of) carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions. Coal as well as natural oil and gas that are the key to energy sources used in industrialization become dominant in Indonesia's development," Emil Salim, a professor of University of Indonesia (UI), stated on Friday.

The use of fossil energy in several national development projects makes Indonesia the world's fifth-largest carbon dioxide producer, he remarked.

Salim called to swap the fossil energy-based development strategy with a renewable energy-oriented development strategy.

The UI professor noted that climate change due to the use of fossil energy leads to global warming, thereby increasing the sea levels. Consequently, several small islands will disappear in future.

"We must replace fossil fuel-based energy, such as natural oil, coal, and natural gas, (with renewable energy)," he affirmed.

The sun serves as a main source of energy to generate electricity in Indonesia, he noted.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry’s data indicated that non-tax state revenues from the mineral and coal sector had reached Rp22.34 trillion in the year ending May 31, 2021. The figure represents 54.5 percent of the targeted Rp39.1 trillion for 2021.

The government will continue to use coal as priority energy until 2040 through the National Energy Grand Strategy that is currently being formulated to ascertain adequate energy supplies in future.

The planned strategy accords priority to the fulfilment of domestic energy requirements and the added value of coal through gasification.

Although the green energy mix is projected to curb the percentage share of coal by up to 25 percent in 2050, the equivalent volume will increase as compared to 2025//ANT