Jakarta, June 7, 2024 – Environmental activists from 350.org, Climate Rangers Jakarta, Enter Nusantara, Fossil Free UKI, and Extinction Rebellion (XR) held a peaceful demonstration at the Japanese Embassy and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) office to urge ADB to accelerate a just energy transition. The action coincided with World Environment Day and the Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF), calling on ADB to ensure transparent and fair investments, increase grants over loans for energy transition financing, reject harmful energy solutions, and prioritize community consultations.
In Indonesia, ADB is leading the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) scheme in mobilizing funding and technical assistance. “Out of the total $20 billion, only 1.47% is grant funding. This clearly does not demonstrate a serious commitment to supporting the energy transition in developing countries,” explained Ginanjar Ariyasuta, Mobilization Coordinator of 350.org Indonesia. “This must not become a debt trap.” He further highlighted the plan to retire coal-fired power plants (PLTU) funded by ADB. “Early retirement of PLTUs in Indonesia under the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) or JETP must be based on the polluter-pays principle. ADB, for instance, has long profited from fossil fuel businesses. Now is the time for them to clean up the pollution from their profits by providing grants to finance the early retirement of PLTUs,” he emphasized.
The coalition also criticized ADB for often failing to deliver real solutions. “ADB’s policies, which still include harmful energy projects such as natural gas, waste-to-energy, geothermal, or nuclear in its investment portfolio, contradict global commitments to reduce carbon emissions. ADB should focus on providing strong support for a just energy transition and ensure that these projects are not false solutions,” asserted Ramadhan, Action Coordinator of Enter Nusantara. “We must not accept empty promises again, as we have seen from previous solutions that yielded no real results.”
A swift and just transition to renewable energy must also prioritize community involvement and uphold human rights and environmental integrity. “Transitioning is not just about the type of energy but also about ensuring community participation. The role of affected communities in decision-making is crucial,” added Fathan Mubina from Climate Rangers Jakarta. “We must not fall into the same trap by allowing energy to be controlled by a handful of elites.”
This action was carried out simultaneously in several Asian countries. In Indonesia, it took place in six cities: Jakarta, Medan, Yogyakarta, Cirebon, Aceh, and Solo. “As the younger generation, we refuse to let our future be jeopardized by debt traps and false solutions. The energy transition must be carried out as quickly and justly as possible. We urge ADB and the Japanese government to demonstrate their commitment to the energy transition in Asia,” declared Pinkan Astina from Fossil Free UKI.
