Energy, Sustainability & Climate B20 Task Force Affirms Three Recommendations to Support Net Zero Carbon Emissions

Rome, June 22, 2022 - B20 Indonesia held a dialogue forum, The Energy Transition In Growth Markets, on Tuesday (21/06/2022) in a Hybrid manner. This forum is a side event of the Energy, Sustainability & Climate (ESC) Task Force and the Future of Work and Education Task Force in collaboration with the Accenture International Utilities and Energy Conference, which takes place from 21-23 June 2022 in Rome, Italy.

Carrying the theme "Maximizing The Value of The Energy Transition in Growth Markets and Paving The Way to B20", this forum discusses the energy industry's future in an era that prioritizes sustainability and low emissions for a green and a more sustainable planet. It is a future that the world demands, and business or industry players will be the pioneers and lead them in that direction.

On this occasion, Deputy Chair of TF ESC B20, Agung Wicaksono, also the Managing Director of Jababeka Infrastruktur as the manager of the largest industrial area in Indonesia, said, "The potential for decarbonization towards net-zero emission, one of which also comes from industrial areas. The renewable energy provision for companies in industrial areas with high demand will be able to contribute in achieving the energy transition target," said Agung.

Therefore, he invited companies in the B20 to carry out global cooperation resulting in business actions which can contribute to the energy transition target. The B20 side event in Rome, Italy, is a global collaboration organized by Accenture as one of the Co-Chairs of the B20 Taskforce in Energy, Sustainability, and Climate (ESC) by presenting B20 Indonesia from both ESC Taskforce and Future of Work and Education Taskforce.

Agung also emphasized the importance of energy transition and the role of Task Force ESC B20 in achieving energy transition priorities, especially to achieve net-zero emissions.

"Climate change sustainability is something that we must strive for the future. Accordingly, ESC TF has currently compiled policy recommendations that focus on three recommendations with 12 policy actions that call for global cooperation," said Agung.

The three policy recommendations he presented includes; accelerating the transition to sustainable energy use by reducing carbon intensity through several pathways. The second is to ensure a just, orderly, and affordable transition to sustainable energy use. Third, increasing energy security so consumers can access and consume clean and modern energy.

"We are working hard to ensure there is an alignment between the performance targets set by the Italian B20 last year and our performance targets this year to be sustainable," said Agung.

To ensure a just, orderly, and affordable transition to sustainable energy use, Agung stated that financing to developing countries is worth taking into account. For this reason, it is necessary to formulate ways to integrate the benefits of carbon pricing into energy transition financing.

"Moreover, in the energy transition, we must also think about the security and availability aspects of world energy. That is, at the same time, we ensure that apart from moving towards greener energy, at the same time we also ensure that everyone has access to clean and modern energy," said Agung.

On the same occasion, the Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arsjad Rasjid, said that currently, the main players in the energy and utility space are facing challenges that are not easy. There needs to be collaboration towards significant reductions in carbon emissions and a progressive transition from carbon-generating to environmentally friendly, greener, and sustainable energy.

"The transition to greener energy does not mean stopping profits for the company. The company's move to clean energy will create added value for brands and consumers to become more confident and provide positive value because they see the commitment of business people to a more sustainable world," said Arsjad.

The Head of Indonesia's B20 Organizer, Shinta Kamdani, said that the energy transition should provide benefits, not become a burden. The energy transition must be prepared carefully, including mitigating the costs needed, as well as the impacts that can be caused.

“This energy transition certainly requires substantial financial support. The G20 countries, which contribute 80% of the world's economy, are expected to support this transition process. Several main priorities must be put forward in this energy transition, such as accessibility, technology, and funding," said Shinta.

Gianfranco Casati and Valentin de Miguel from Accenture, as the Co-Chair and Deputy Co-Chair of the B20 ESC Taskforce, served as the event's moderators and introduced other keynote speakers. It includes Chair of the B20 Future of Work & Education Task Force/President Director of Astra Otoparts/Director of PT Astra International Tbk, Hamdhani D Salim; Co-Chair of B20 Future of Work & Education Task Force/IOE Vice President to The ILO, Renate Hornung Draus; Head of Energy, Materials and Infrastructure of WEF, Kristen Panerali; CEO of ENI Evolution, Giuseppe Ricci.**