Tackling Coal-Driven Air Pollution in China and India: Lessons learned for Indonesia
-
Energy demand in China, India, and #Indonesia is met to a large degree by fossil fuel combustion, which is creating increased air #pollution in these countries.
-
Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and dedicating savings to energy efficiency and #renewables would result in greenhouse gas emission reductions, health gains and a faster implementation of the NDC targets.
As the three most populous countries in Asia, China, India and Indonesia share a lot in common when it comes to projected significant economic growth, and along with it, an increase in the power capacity driven by a booming demand.
This energy demand is met to a large degree by fossil fuel combustion, which is creating increased air pollution in these countries.
Both India and China have undertaken important steps to support renewables and increase their share in the national electricity mix. Subsidies to fossil fuels in India have decreased over the past three years as subsidies to renewables increased significantly, showing a political will to reduce India’s dependency on fossil fuel and shift to renewables.
In China, under a new policy launched in 2018, the government promised to provide direct policy support to help renewable energy developers achieve “grid price parity” with traditional electricity sources. The grid companies will be encouraged to guarantee electricity purchases from pilot projects and lower transmission fees, as well as support cross-regional deliveries of subsidy-free power.
There are lessons for Indonesia that can be taken from India and China's experiences. Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and dedicating savings to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources would result in significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, health gains and a faster implementation of the NDC targets.
You might also be interested in
Power by All: Alternatives to a privately owned future for renewable energy in South Africa
This report explores new models for renewable energy development that create a greater role for public and community ownership in South Africa.
Doubling Back and Doubling Down: G20 scorecard on fossil fuel funding
This study tracks, for the first time, each G20 country's progress on ending support for fossil fuels—ranking their transparency, commitments, and financial support to oil, gas, and coal.
Energy Transition in Support of the Low-Carbon Development Initiative in Indonesia: Transport sector
Implementing an effective pricing mechanism is necessary for Indonesia to complete its landmark fuel subsidy reforms and prevent backsliding into expensive subsidy policies. The current pricing regime aims to deliver a public service but inadvertently contributes major social costs: air pollution and associated illness, greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion.
Indonesia's Coal Price Cap: A barrier to renewable energy deployment
Indonesia's coal price cap encourages the consumption of coal while slowing the integration of renewable energy into the country's power grid.