The global demand to achieve carbon neutrality is growing stronger, calling for concrete action from all nations. This urgency is reinforced by the Paris Agreement, which sets an ambitious goal of achieving global net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050 and reducing global emissions by 45 percent by 2030. Responding to this call, Indonesia has strengthened its national commitment through its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) document, raising its emission reduction target to 31.89 percent by 2030.
The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Water and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Retno Marsudi, emphasized that the carbon reduction target is closely linked to global efforts to address the threats of water, food, and energy crises.
“All of these challenges are deeply interconnected, as they relate to the goals of sustainable development with water, food, and energy as the core elements,” said the former minister in a virtual address at the Astechnova 2025 International Energy Conference, held on Wednesday (Oct. 8) at The Alana Hotel Yogyakarta.
According to Marsudi, the limited availability of clean water has become a shared global concern, as supply continues to decline while demand rises for industrial and household needs.
To overcome the growing threats of water, food, and energy scarcity, she stressed the importance of coherent policy coordination. The world, including Indonesia, faces the challenge of maintaining population balance, which directly affects resource demand.
Carolyn Scherer, M.S., a representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) through the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), stated that nuclear energy remains highly competitive in the long term, especially as modern reactors are designed to operate for 60 to 80 years which is much longer than the 40-year lifespan of first-generation reactors.
“This demonstrates the growing sustainability of modern nuclear technology,” she remarked.
She further emphasized that INPRO seeks to ensure that nuclear energy can be utilized sustainably and competitively while minimizing proliferation risks and environmental impact.
Meanwhile, Professor Andang Widi Harto, a lecturer at the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Physics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FT UGM), encouraged the development of technologies capable of capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere and converting it into marketable products such as urea fertilizer and synthetic hydrocarbons.
However, Professor Harto noted that the success of these CO₂ utilization concepts depends heavily on one crucial element: hydrogen (H₂).
“Without hydrogen, the process of converting CO₂ into economically valuable products cannot take place,” he asserted.
The Astechnova 2025 International Conference brought together more than 300 participants from eight countries. According to the Dean of FT UGM, Professor Selo, the conference is expected to generate innovative ideas and insights to address various global issues and challenges.
“We hope this event will strengthen collaboration among academia, industry, government, and international partners in realizing sustainable development,” said Professor Selo in closing.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: Astechnova and Firsto Adi