Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's special envoy for climate change and energy, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, said he considers the Paris Agreement no longer relevant for Indonesia following the US withdrawal from the deal.
"If the United States does not want to comply with the international agreement, why should a country like Indonesia comply with it?" he asked at the ESG Sustainable Forum 2025 in Jakarta on Friday.
He based his statement on a comparison of carbon emissions produced by both countries.
Compared to the US, which produces approximately 13 tons of carbon per capita per year, Indonesia emits just 3 tons per capita per year.
This data shows that pollution in the US is worse than in Indonesia. The US is even listed as one of the world's largest greenhouse gas polluters.
"This is a matter of justice. Indonesia produces 3 tons of carbon while the US produces 13 tons, yet we are the ones being told to close our power plants and reduce our steam power plants. So, where is the sense of justice here?" Djojohadikusumo said.
Therefore, he added, Indonesia is currently evaluating the ramifications of the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, particularly its implications for energy transition projects.
According to Djojohadikusumo, carrying out energy transition programs amid the current uncertain global situation will be very challenging for Indonesia.
"Indonesia always wants to be 'a good boy.' But the 'big boys' are not necessarily 'good boys' either, right?" he said, referring to the US and other developed countries.
The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has created a dilemma for Indonesia in developing new and renewable energy, according to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia.
He highlighted the high costs required to develop new and renewable energy compared to using fossil fuels.
With the US, a key initiator of the Paris Agreement, having withdrawn, and financing institutions reducing support for renewable energy projects, Lahadalia is reconsidering the future of Indonesia's energy transition.
However, Indonesia remains committed to developing new and renewable energy as part of its social responsibility to protect the environment.
President Donald Trump announced the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on his first day back in office, January 20, labeling it an "unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off."
This marks Trump's second withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. He had previously exited the pact in 2017 during his first term.
The Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 by 195 members of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change as a framework to limit global temperature increases to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while striving for a 1.5-degree Celsius limit.
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Translator: Putu Indah Savitri, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Anton Santoso
