To Overcome the Climate Crisis, Indonesia Must Seek Environmentally Friendly Energy

FITK, UIN News Online – Records from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) state that in the last five years, Indonesia has experienced extreme rainfall. The BMKG also noted that in 2021, 90 percent of the disasters that will occur in Indonesia will be related to hydrometeorological disasters.

This was said by Greenpeace Indonesia Media Campaigner Rahma Shofiana in her presentation at a seminar entitled “Islam dan Lingkungan: Upaya Menjawab Tantangan Perubahan Iklim” at the FITK theater room, campus I of UIN Jakarta on Monday (11/21/2022).

Rahma explained that the ice on the top of Mount Jaya Wijaya, Papua, has now started to melt. This is a sign for the community to act progressively in preserving the environment.

Every action of society on earth, he explained, would leave a carbon footprint. To reduce carbon footprints, she appealed the people to use bicycle or public transportation in carrying out their daily activities.

Rahma further said, in the future Indonesia must start choosing and switching to environmentally friendly energy sources. This is considering that coal as one of the fuels for Steam Power Plants (PLTU) has had to retire early. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) itself states that in 2030 coal-fired power plants (PLTU) around the world will be closed.

Unfortunately, she said, the power procurement plan issued officially by the State Electricity Company (PLN) states that Indonesia will continue to use coal as an energy source until 2056.

“The policy is clearly contradictory,” she said.

She also added that a serious commitment from the government and public involvement is needed to overcome the current climate crisis.

“Indonesia has the opportunity to become one of the countries with adaptation and mitigation in dealing with climate change,” she added.

In addition to presenting Rahma Shofiana as speaker, this seminar also presented the Vice Rector for Cooperation and Institutional Development who also served as the Head of UIN Jakarta Green Campus Program Lily Surayya Eka Putri and islami.co founder Savic Ali. (ns/fa/usa)