The Director General of New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation (EBTKE) at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) of the Republic of Indonesia, Professor Eniya Listiani Dewi, stated that the government aims to have Indonesia achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2060 or sooner. According to her, several strategic measures are being implemented to accelerate the national energy transition, focusing on resource availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability.
“Indonesia is not only focusing on developing renewable energy but also on integrating it with smart green systems, especially in regions that still rely on diesel energy,” explained Professor Dewi during her keynote speech at the 1st International Conference on Sustainable Energy (ICoSE) 2025, held on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2025, at the Teaching Industry Learning Center (TILC) Ballroom, Vocational College, Universitas Gadjah Mada (SV UGM).
On that occasion, Professor Dewi emphasized that Indonesia has a geothermal energy potential of 23 GW, the second-largest in the world after the United States, offering the country a significant opportunity to become a global leader in geothermal energy implementation.
The ICoSE 2025 Conference was held in collaboration with partner universities, including the University of Chile (Chile) and UiTM Sarawak Branch (Malaysia), and was supported by the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO).
The conference served as a platform for exchanging the latest ideas and research in sustainable energy.
This cross-faculty collaboration is expected to strengthen UGM’s role in fostering academic, industrial, and governmental synergy to advance green energy innovation in Indonesia.
Dr. Silvi Nur Oktalina, a lecturer at the Forest Management Program at SV UGM, stated that Indonesia has significant biomass potential as a renewable energy source. According to ESDM data, Indonesia’s biomass energy potential is 30 gigawatts (GW).
“The main challenges lie in production costs and technological readiness,” she said.
UGM Vice-Rector for Planning, Assets, and Information Systems, Dr. Arief Setiawan Budi Nugroho, in his remarks, conveyed that the energy transition is not merely a technological shift but also a social transformation that requires policy innovation, behavioral change, and strong collaboration between academia, industry, and government.
“Universities play a vital role as producers of knowledge, innovators, and catalysts for policymakers. I hope this conference inspires new solutions for a sustainable energy future,” he said.
The two-day international conference, held on 6-7 November 2025, aimed to address the global need to accelerate the transition to clean energy and achieve the Net Zero Emission target by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.
Indonesia holds a strategic position in these global efforts.
ICoSE 2025 served as a platform for academics, industry players, and civil society to discuss innovative approaches to sustainable energy.
The discussions focused on four clusters: Upstream-Downstream Innovation for a Just Energy Transition, Energy Transition and Regional Development, Biodiversity Conservation in the Net-Zero Agenda, and Mastery of Technology for Renewable Energy.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang Andwyna
Photographs: Salwa and Freepik