Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesia and the UK have been committed to implementing a green economy while balancing economic, social and environmental aspects through low-carbon development programs, said Indonesian Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency, Suharso Monoarfa.

Suharso confirmed this after meeting British Minister of Pacific and Environment Lord Zac Goldsmith during a working visit to London, the United Kingdom (UK).

"The collaboration between the governments of Indonesia and the UK has provided a solid foundation for Indonesia to move towards a more sustainable economy through various studies on policies," said Suharso in a statement received here on Sunday (Oct. 31).

So far, policy studies on sustainable green economic development include food loss and waste, carbon tax, carbon pricing, energy efficiency, and the connection between biodiversity and climate change.

The Indonesia-UK cooperation in the low carbon development framework that has been started since 2017, is now entering a transition phase to the second phase which will start from 2022 to 2025, with more strategic targets and long-term impacts.

In 2019, the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning together with a consortium of research and development partners developed a report entitled the Changes of Paradigm Towards Green Economies in Indonesia.

The report has key findings including inclusive and sustainable growth which could produce an average GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate of six percent per year, as well as a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent by 2030.

Then, the Indonesian ministry integrated these findings into the 2020-2024 National Medium-Term Development Plan, one of which is by making the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as an indicator of macroeconomic development.

In 2021, together with the UK-Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and supported by the New Climate Economy and the World Resources Institute, the ministry prepared a Green Economy report for Towards Net-Zero Emissions in the Future.

The report discusses the importance of Build Back Better, or a commitment to bounce back from COVID-19, to a green economy in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 at the latest.

"Based on the Green Economy Report published by of the National Development Planning Agency this month, the net-zero scenario will bring additional economic, social and environmental benefits as an integral part of the COVID-19 recovery measures, while contributing to keeping global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is also the common goal of Indonesia and the UK," said Suharso.

Reporting by Indonesia Window