Why some Indonesians worry about a $20 billion climate deal to get off coal

The Indicator from Planet Money

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🗓️ 9 March 2023

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

The U.S. is helping broker a $20 billion deal to transition Indonesia off coal. The hope is this climate financing plan could be a model to move other developing counties away from coal-fired electricity. But Indonesian energy experts and solar executives worry much of this deal may just be "omong kosong" — empty talk.

Today on The Indicator, we bring you an episode of Short Wave, NPR's daily science podcast. Climate solutions reporter Julia Simon breaks down the realities and limitations of Indonesia's renewable energy aspirations with Short Wave co-host Aaron Scott. (You can read more about this story here.)

Transcript

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0:00.0	NPR.
0:11.7	This is the indicator from planet money I'm Whalen Wong.
0:14.9	Late last year, President Biden and a bunch of other world leaders went to Indonesia for
0:19.1	a meeting of the G20, this group of many of the world's largest economies, and they announced
0:24.6	a big climate deal.
0:26.4	$20 billion in loans, grants, and private financing to get Indonesia off coal.
0:33.3	Right now, Indonesia gets about 60% of its electricity from coal.
0:37.5	And coal, of course, is this massive source of planet-heating carbon dioxide.
0:42.5	So if this climate deal leads to success, it could be a model to get other emerging economies
0:47.3	to reduce their coal-fired electricity, too.
0:51.0	Today on the show, we're bringing you an episode from our friends at Shortwave, NPR's Daily
0:55.4	Science podcast.
0:57.2	Indonesia is this ambitious climate test case, but loopholes, price caps, and potential
1:02.6	conflicts of interest could undermine the effort there, and could cast out on future deals
1:07.2	to get other countries off coal.
1:09.7	After the break, Shortwave co-host Aaron Scott talks with Julia Simon, NPR's Climate
1:14.6	Solutions reporter.
1:21.3	This message comes from NPR Sponsor, first Republic Bank.
1:25.0	Take your financial goals to the next level.
1:27.3	With first Republic, you'll partner with a personal banker who's ready to help you get
1:31.2	there.
1:32.2	Learn more at firstrepublic.com.
	...

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