BLUF
By making our renewable energy expertise available to Indonesia, Australia has a unique opportunity to enhance our vital relationship with Indonesia.Summary
A strong relationship with Indonesia is vital to Australia’s interests, noting that Indonesia has expressed reservations about AUKUS.
Key points
- Wind and solar provide less than 1 % of energy for 270 million Indonesians.
- Indonesia’s President Jokowi wants Australian expertise to improve the environment by using sustainable development.
- Jowoki described Australia as Indonesia’s “closest friend”.
- Indonesia’s eastern archipelago has similar energy challenges to outback Australia: isolated communities relying on expensive diesel-fuelled generators despite plentiful sunshine and wind.
- Indonesia signed the Paris Agreement and is committed to net zero emissions by 2060, but to meet this target, Indonesia needs international assistance.
- In Indonesia, renewables and energy investment are hampered by complex regulations, poor feed-in tariffs, unstable electricity networks and, a skills shortage.
References
- Oct 2021 Disruptive Asia A New ‘Normal’ for Australia and Indonesia on Climate Change.
- Oct 2021 Australian Embassy Indonesia Development Partnership with Indonesia