Jakarta. Experts are hoping that the upcoming vice presidential debate will focus on the alarming environmental problems that Indonesia needs to solve such as the country’s overreliance on fossil fuel as well as deforestation.

The three candidates --Muhaimin Iskandar, Gibran Rakabuming, Mahfud MD-- will compete against one another in an environment-focused debate next Sunday. 

Energy expert Fabby Tumiwa said that he wanted to hear the candidates’ plans on energy security as Indonesia today still heavily relied on fossil fuels such as coal, not to mention the high oil imports.

“About 87 percent of our energy supply comes from fossil fuels,” Fabby recently said, as reported by Beritasatu.

Indonesia’s declining oil supply has forced Indonesia to import more oil since 2004. The archipelagic country imports almost 90 percent of the oil needed for both its refineries and products. About 80 percent of the highly needed liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) comes from imports.

The upcoming debate should also give the candidates a chance to talk about their plans for a just energy transition.

Indonesia has set a goal to achieve net zero emission by 2060. This means that Indonesia has about 25-30 years to shift from fossil fuels to renewables. However, the future government should make sure that the energy transition takes place in an equitable manner.

“So this means we can fulfill our energy demand [with renewables] by making sure that it is available at an affordable price. We need to anticipate the socio-economic impact of the energy transition,” Fabby said.

Environmental analyst Gatot Supangkat said candidates need to talk about how they plan on educating the people to better treat the environment. 

“These environmental problems are all about the people’s behavior. It is not about the technical or technology issues. It all comes down to people not knowing how to take care of the planet. So to fix this, there is no other way than education,” Gatot said.

Last but not least is deforestation. Trees play a major role in tackling climate change. Gatot claimed that a tree of 15-20 meters high could absorb a ton of carbon dioxide per year. They also provide the oxygen that humans need, according to Gatot. He added: “Losing [trees to deforestation] poses threats to humans’ health.”

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