VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia encouraged the need to apply a multilateral approach to confront various global environmental issues that affect countries during the G20 Joint Environment and Climate Ministers’ Meeting (JECMM) in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Wednesday.

G20 is an international forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union that work together to handle major issues. Indonesia is holding the presidency of the grouping this year.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya pointed out that various global environmental issues had affected all countries, and they were in a position to solve them independently.

Hence, every country has the responsibility to maintain environmental multilateralism in order to resolve them, she stated while addressing G20 member country delegations.

Environmental multilateralism is the only mechanism wherein all countries, regardless of size and prosperity, are on the same standing and receive the same treatment, she affirmed.

The application of multilateralism in addressing environmental issues will provide a good opportunity for developed and developing countries to be heard, she noted.

To this end, Indonesia's G20 Presidency, within the G20 JECMM, also invited several other parties, such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union.

These parties' concerns and interests are also important. All countries can contribute in the solution through several ways, Nurbaya remarked.

The multilateralism approach in confronting environmental issues is also the only method to effectively coordinate steps in handling various global challenges.

She urged G20 member countries and representatives from other attending organizations to bolster the spirit of mutual respect.

This is because multilateralism can only be achieved when there is a sense of trust between countries, the minister explained.

Hence, it becomes the responsibility of all countries to become part of the solution, to build bridges rather than walls, and to push collective interests instead of their own interests, she stated. (Antaranews)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) encouraged micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Papua to join the digital economy platform in an effort to develop their markets to wider consumers.

Jokowi said he witnessed several MSMEs with promising potential before he attended the handover ceremony of the Business Identification Number (NIB) to individual micro and small enterprises (SMEs) at the Toware Sports Hall, Jayapura District, on Wednesday.

"I am happy to see some products. The packaging is quite good, the product is also good. I am really surprised to see that in Papua, the SMEs' products are outstanding," he noted during his speech at an event broadcast live on the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel.

By utilizing digital platforms, Papuan MSMEs owners will be able to expand their market to other islands and even abroad, he stated.

"I have seen Papuan coffee, pineapple juice, shredded tuna, and other things. Please promote them on the digital platform. Use the opportunity to reach a wider market and even abroad," he added.

Apart from the e-commerce platform, the president also suggested Papuan MSMEs to start utilizing social media channels to promote their products.

"You can try to sell on Facebook or Instagram. However, e-commerce platforms are also good. I think the products will be selling good," Jokowi stated.

During the event, the head of state distributed NIB to at least 2,700 individual SME recipients.

According to a report by Minister of Investment/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Bahlil Lahadalia, only 20 thousand business actors have, until now, registered in the Online Single Submission (OSS) system in Papua.

Lahadalia said his side targeted the number to increase to at least 200 thousand business actors registered with OSS.

Apart from Minister Lahadalia, the president was also accompanied by Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Erick Thohir, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung. (Antaranews)

State-owned electricity provider PT PLN (Persero) has taken several measures to help mitigate climate change, including optimizing the operation of existing power plants and using more environmentally friendly fuel for the plants.

"Indonesia has committed to reducing carbon emissions to achieve the 17th sustainable development goal (SDG) and achieve net-zero emissions by 2060," Director of Corporate Planning at PT PLN Evy Haryadi said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

In addition to meeting the public service obligation set by the government, the effort is also the company’s responsibility as part of the international community to jointly mitigate the impact of climate change.

The director said that to achieve carbon neutrality, his company is trying to implement 75 percent of the new and renewable energy mix of the installed electricity capacity of 413 gigawatts (GW), which will also be supported by 19 GW of electricity interconnections from Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Nusa Tenggara regions to Java region.

The company is also planning to implement carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology for steam-fired power plants (PLTUs), cut off the use of PLTUs early, as well as apply new technologies such as biomass and hydrogen, he added.

The enterprise will require US$614 billion in investment to achieve the carbon neutral target by 2060 of which around US$596 billion would be used to improve electricity capacity, while the remaining investment would be utilized to strengthen electricity interconnection.

Hence, these efforts need to be supported with lower-cost green financing, development grants, and cooperation between countries.

"We need a subsidy mechanism to ease the (burden of) increasing (electricity) costs on the customers," he said.

The climate change mitigation effort also needs to be supported by investments and technology sharing by global players in battery energy storage systems (BESS), CCS, and hydrogen technologies.

Haryadi added that his company also requires supporting policies, such as the elimination of import tariffs and the imposition of subsidies to reduce the cost of electric vehicles.  (Antaranews)

An Indian delegate on Tuesday lauded Indonesia for successfully holding the fourth meeting of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) here on August 29 and 30, 2022.

"We would like to thank you for being such a wonderful host, welcoming us warmly, and for the excellent hospitality to the delegates," Naman Upadhyaya, an Indian delegate and deputy secretary of India's Foreign Ministry, told reporters here on Tuesday.

India will hold the G20 Presidency next year and hopes to emulate the success of the Indonesian G20 Presidency, he said.

Although Indonesia and India are two different countries, they share similarities in terms of culture and certain values, he added.

Upadhyaya said he also hopes that Indonesia will support the Indian G20 Presidency next year and develop stronger collaboration and closer relations between both countries in the future.

"We are happy to accept the G20 Presidency, and we hope for full support from Indonesia," he remarked.

The DEWG meeting discussed three priority issues: digital connectivity, digital skills and literacy, and cross-country data flow.

Digital security and digital skills are important topics for discussion, he said.

Hence, the two issues will be among the main focuses of India's G20 Presidency, besides issues related to cyber security, he informed.

The two-day DEWG meeting was also attended by representatives of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Argentina joined the meeting virtually.

The meeting yielded the G20 Digital Ministers’ draft declaration called “The Bali Package.”

The draft declaration will be discussed again and finalized at the Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting (DEMM) on September 1. (Antaranews)