He made the comment at a UN Day discussion at the National Library
Energy transition schemes in Indonesia should include sustainability principles and partnerships with local communities, said Lucky Nurrahmat, Country Lead of Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). His statement was made at a UN Day discussion titled “Energy as Enabler of Lives and Livelihoods” at the National Library, Central Jakarta on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023.
Mr. Nurrahmat said that the energy transition should do no harm, either to the environment or to the people. He explained that coal decommissioning may cause losses for people because coal-fired power plants have created a lot of jobs, not only in the coal industry, but also in the micro, small, and medium enterprises that cater to power plant workers.
“Therefore, we should prepare a safeguard scenario and [find] the best way to compensate these people during the energy transition process,” Mr. Nurrahmat added.
With a philanthropic capital base, GEAPP aims to be a global leader in blended finance for the energy sector. Blended finance — which combines public, private, and philanthropic funding — enables GEAPP to make quicker and significantly more impactful investment as it develops and implements solutions, platforms, and other interventions. It also addresses investment barriers common in the renewable energy sector, such as higher risk and lower returns than comparable investments.
The discussion, moderated by UNDP Senior Advisor for Environment Verania Andria, also featured Nimas P. Pratiwi, Director of BLUE/Warung Energi, and Jeni Pareira, Senior Advisor of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Jeni Pareira expressed a similar opinion, stating that since most renewable energy sources are located in forest areas, the energy transition should prepare mitigation measures and be carried out according to sustainability principles.
