In Indonesia, a Policy Dialogue titled "Strategic Bioenergy in Indonesia and Sweden" was held in Jakarta on March 11, 2020. Part of a series of activities on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Sweden, it also marked a collaboration between the Policy Analysis and Development Agency (BPPK) of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Stockholm with relevant stakeholders of bioenergy issues in Sweden.
According to the Indonesian Embassy in Stockholm, the Swedish stakeholders included the Swedish Energy Agency (Energimyndigheten), the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).
The policy dialogue event is expected to strengthen research development cooperation between the two countries through increased interaction between researchers and policymakers in the field of bioenergy.
The event was opened by Indonesia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mahendra Siregar who said that the seminar is very strategic and important bilaterally, in line with the commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relation of Indonesia and Sweden.
I hope that the seminar will give realistic solutions which will increase the sustainability of energy, bioenergy, and a more constructive and productive bilateral relation, said Vice Minister Siregar.
According to Indonesia’s National Energy Policy, the country aims to achieve 23 percent renewable energy by 2025 and 31 percent by 2050 of which just over 8 percent is estimated to be derived from biomass sources. The event was also an opportunity to disseminate the research findings by Fumi Harahap, an Indonesian doctoral student at KTH, on the effectiveness of the Indonesian government’s regulations in promoting the palm oil agro-industry.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Sweden and Latvia, Bagas Hapsoro, emphasized the importance of the event in the context of developing bioenergy as an alternative solution to fossil fuel for Indonesia.
With the decreasing role of fossil fuel in the future, dialogue and cooperation between Indonesia and Sweden will be vital. We need to increase our efforts to reduce emissions for a cleaner Indonesia, said Ambassador Bagas.
The Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia, Marina Berg closed the event by giving an appreciation for the initiative of the policy dialogue adding that the research and development cooperation is one of the most important aspects of Indonesia-Sweden bilateral cooperation.
Bioenergy cooperation needs to be enhanced bilaterally, regionally, and multilateral, remarked Ambassador Berg.
