Indonesia to Cut Coal Output in 2026 After Export Slump to China and India

Indonesia plans to cut coal production in 2026 after exports to China and India fell sharply last year and prices declined, Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said. He said Indonesia would reduce coal output to around ...

China Drives Indonesia’s Push for Clean Energy and More Coal

China sits at the heart of Indonesia’s energy paradox — driving the country’s ambitious shift toward renewables while remaining deeply entrenched in its coal economy. Chinese financing and technology are accelerating Indonesia’s clean energy buildout, from nickel refining to electric vehicles ...

China’s Power Paradox: Record Renewables, Continued Coal

By Sara Hussein Call it the China power paradox: while Beijing leads the world in renewable energy expansion, its coal projects are booming too. As the top emitter of greenhouse gases, China will largely determine ...

China’s Solar Expansion in Indonesia Still Relies on Coal

In West Java, a province just east of Jakarta, Indonesia, a sprawling industrial park is rising. Backed by  Chinese cement giant Hongshi Holding Group, the $5 billion complex promises to produce the solar panels and batteries that the world desperately needs to combat climate change.

Philippine Fishers Struggle as China-Funded Coal Projects Expand

Canopies of old trees, a port, and a solar farm came into view as the air-conditioned bus approached Mariveles town in Bataan province. Within minutes, after traversing a tree-lined, well-paved road, the bus reached its destination: the freeport area of Bataan, ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Confusing Developments in “Development”

This week I’m in Brussels, where I took part in a workshop on how the EU should shape its development strategy in response to China’s global influence.
I have joked in the past that it feels like I’ve attended this same ‘EU, Africa, and External Development Partners’ conference for ten years straight. 

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Indonesia’s Coal Production Hits Record in 2024, with China Driving the Growth

Indonesia’s coal production hit a new high in 2024, reaching 831.6 million tons, 17% above the target. This boost is largely thanks to strong demand from China, the world’s biggest coal importer, along with other key markets in ASEAN. While ...

China’s Role in Indonesia’s Coal-Powered Industry Poses Challenge to Prabowo’s Green Goals

Indonesia’s energy transition strategy has sparked debate after conflicting statements from top officials about the future of coal power.  While President Prabowo Subianto recently announced, at the G20 summit in Brazil, an ambitious plan to cease all coal and fossil fuel ...

To Speed Up Coal Plant Retirement, Policymakers Need to Better Understand the Costs and Benefits

By Rishikesh Ram Bhandary and Kevin P. Gallagher Coal-fired power plants will have to be rapidly phased down to meet the Paris Agreement targets and avoid the catastrophic costs of inaction on climate change. At ...

Coal-Free Future: A Diary From China-Indonesia Energy Field Trip

Do you remember when the weather was small talk? It used to be a conversation you would have with a stranger at the bus stop, perhaps about the imminent rain or how unusually hot today is before it became quiet again and your ride arrived.

Indonesia May Be Wasting Its Ties With China and Climate Partnership Full Potentials

We are still six months away from the official presidential inauguration. Still, China has already invited Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto to visit Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in person. During the visit, Prabowo reiterated his promise to continue Jokowi's development model, including partnerships with China.  ...

China’s Potential as a Reliable Partner for Coal Plant Phase-Down in Africa

By Niccolò Manych and Tsitsi Musasike The future of the electricity system lies in renewables, both globally and in Africa. Although a green energy transition has multiple benefits for African nations, many continue to ...

Backgrounder: The Fine Print of China’s No-Coal Pledge

In 2021, China’s President Xi Jinping announced that China would stop funding and building coal-fired power plants overseas. After the announcement, Chinese companies canceled about forty coal power projects. However, a similar number are still in limbo. If built, they would produce 245 ...
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