A report published by World Agroforestry Center (WAC) shows that Indonesia is getting further away from the green economy models. A green economy is defined as low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. In a green economy, growth in employment and income are driven by public and private investment into such economic activities, infrastructure and assets that allow reduced carbon emissions and pollution, enhanced energy and resource efficiency, and prevention of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Indonesia is considered only to meet three out of eleven policy measures that have been determined by WAC (see image1). It would be contradictive to the world’s spirit to use the green economy model.
Government stimulus plans worth trillions of dollars were announced to revive
economic prospects and boost business and job opportunities.
Some economists, government leaders and energy think tanks have called this an
opportunity for a “green recovery”, a win-win situation which will reinvigorate the
economy while working towards a greener, carbon-neutral future.
Tian Lin, Environmental Social Scientist and Consultant at World Agroforestry Centre,
said: “Green recovery is an umbrella term for regulatory and fiscal reforms that aim to
accelerate economic recovery while cutting GHG emissions.”
Tian Lin with Jeffrey Beyer and Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis spoke on
webinar “What is the Green Recovery?: A Webinar for Journalist on Climate Action in
the Wake of Covid-19”, November 24, 2021.
Jeffrey Beyer deployed newly developed, extended methodology to analyse
forthcoming National Resilience and Recovery Plans (NRRPs), set out by ten EU
countries, in a way that distinguishes between climate and nature impacts. (see image2). It found that nature and biodiversity have been particularly neglected in the plans and only 8% of their commitments will enhance nature.
Post-pandemic stimulus to date, says the report, will have a net negative
environmental impact in 20 of the 30 countries analysed. The Greenness of Stimulus Index compares each country’s GSI score, which is comprised of a positive and negative contribution. Indonesia is one of countries with poor baseline with small positive stimulus contribution (see image 3).
Jeffrey Beyer, Founder at Zest Associates Sustainability Consultancy, said: “We
can only build back better sustainably if we protect the climate and nature.”
In 2009, Indonesia once committed to reducing carbon gas emissions by up to 26 percent at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh, USA. The main agenda of the meeting was the implementation of the green economy model. (*)
