Editorial photo #11846237 Human Interest

Indonesia Still Difficult To Escape Coal Dependence

A coal mining truck operates on a haul road at an opencast coalmine in Kalimantan, Indonesia, on December 8, 2024. Environmental activists express concern about the slow growth of renewable energy and the continued reliance on coal. This is particularly concerning because, in 2001, Indonesia had 93.8 million hectares of primary forest, covering more than 50% of its total land area. By 2023, Indonesia had lost 292 thousand hectares of primary forest, equivalent to 221 million tons of CO2 emissions. Of this loss, 144 thousand hectares are located within Indonesia's official forest land cover classes and have a patch size larger than two hectares. Coal consumption in Indonesia has surged in the last decade. In 2013, Indonesia's coal consumption is recorded at 72.07 million tons. This figure jumps to 138.42 million tons in 2019 and further increases to 212.87 million tons in 2023. Meanwhile, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) acknowledges that Indonesia is still dependent on coal to meet its energy needs and will require a significant amount of time to transition away from this dependency. (Photo by Afriadi Hikmal/NurPhoto)