Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian plan to build coal fired power plants with a total capacity of 20,000 megawatts under its energy program raised question at the UN Climate Change Conference in Marakesh, Morocco, about the country's commitments to reducing gas emission.

Head of the climate and energy campaign of Greenpeace Indonesia Hindun Mulaika said here on Thursday Greenpeace Indonesia welcomed statement by Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar at the Marakesh conference on Wednesday stressing the important role of forests and energy.

However, Greenpeace Indonesia doubted the seriousness of Indonesian in carrying out its commitment as coal still accounts for a major part of its energy program, Hindun said.

Coal fired power plants are to contribute 20,000 megawatts to the governments program to generated 35,000 MW of power until 2019.

Hindun said with the policy it is impossible for the country to reach the target of renewable energy to account for 23 percent of the country's energy consumption in 2025 and to 31 percent in 2030.

There is no incentive for development of new energy, on the contrary, fossil energy is still subsidized , he said.

"The use of fossil fuel should be stopped . There should be no room for coal fired power plants (PLTU). Unfortunately Indonesia still continues investment in the deadly industry, polluting the air threatening health of the public and the future of this planet," he said.

He said the governments plan that coal would at least contribute to 25 percent of the countrys energy sources until end of 2050 may only an inference.

With that policy , there would be more PLTUs, he said.

"The energy plan of Indonesia is a a suicidal note for our planet," he said.

Earlier, more than 90 non governmental organizations from more than 115 countries grouped in The Climate Action Network (CAN) gave Fossil Award to Indonesia in the side event of "Conference of Parties" (COP) 22, Marakesh, Morocco.

CAN works to promote government and individual actions to limit an increase in climate change caused by human beings.

"Fossils awards", usually given to country considered to be against the U.N. negotiation on climate change, was given to Indonesia for its "bad" plan to build more coal fired power plants, which would contribute 60 percent to its 35,000 MW power generating program until 2019 .

The news came only a few days after a latest research by UNICEF said that more than 300 million children in the world notably in southeast Asia were victims of air pollution largely because of the burning of dirty fossil fuel such as coal.

Indonesia included "clean coal" in its document of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), but the solution which is considered wrong would not reduce early death on global warming.

Editor: Ade P Marboen
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