Ecobiz.asia – World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia has praised Indonesia’s updated climate plan, the Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), while highlighting areas where further improvement is needed to ensure stronger emissions reductions.
Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi, Country Director of WRI Indonesia, Thursday (Oct 30, 2025) acknowledged the importance of Indonesia’s new climate plan, which sets a clear target to reduce emissions by 2035.
Koni noted, “Indonesia’s new climate plan marks an important step forward, building on earlier commitments with an absolute target to reduce emissions by 2035. It strengthens transparency and accountability, signaling the country’s commitment to addressing climate change. The plan also rightfully acknowledges the need to prepare for worsening climate impacts while supporting workers through a just transition.”
The new NDC projects that Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions will peak by 2030 and then decline to 1.26 and 1.49 gigatonnes of CO₂ equivalent (GtCO₂e) by 2035 under two economic growth scenarios.
However, Koni pointed out that the emissions reduction pathways in the NDC show slower progress through 2035, meaning steeper cuts will be required after 2035 to stay on track for net-zero emissions by 2060 or earlier.
Key highlights in the updated NDC include expanded coverage of potent greenhouse gases like hydrofluorocarbons, and new measures for forestry and land use, including the use of harvested wood products, blue carbon initiatives like mangroves and seagrasses, and ambitious targets to restore millions of hectares of degraded land by 2030.
The plan also focuses on enhancing reforestation accounting through improved monitoring, reporting, and verification, and aims to accelerate the energy transition with a target of 70-72% renewable energy in the national supply by 2060.
Despite these advancements, Samadhi stressed there is room for improvement, especially regarding the clarity of the 2019 emissions baseline.
“Greater clarity on the 2019 emissions baseline would make it easier to track progress and improve transparency,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of aligning national plans with key frameworks, such as the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Comprehensive Investment Plan and Policy (CIPP) and the National Energy Policy (NEP), to enhance ambition.
WRI’s recent analysis suggests that aligning Indonesia’s National Energy Policy with the JETP CIPP scenario could reduce greenhouse gas emissions while delivering socio-economic benefits, such as better health outcomes, increased investment, and job creation.
“Indonesia’s Just Transition approach is currently limited to workers and does not fully address the needs of communities or regional economic losses,” Koni added. “A broader, more inclusive approach is needed across all climate action efforts, covering both mitigation and adaptation.” ***
