Ever since Indonesia accelerated plans last year to achieve carbon neutrality, a parade of climate envoys from developed nations has headed to the archipelago ¡ª offering assistance and financial aid in exchange for a commitment by the world¡¯s biggest exporter of coal by weight to phase out coal power.
Officials from the U.S. and Europe hope to secure a deal by the time Indonesia hosts G20 leaders in Bali in November, establishing a major milestone in the global effort to cut emissions and providing an impetus for the United Nations¡¯ COP27 climate summit in Egypt the same month.
It¡¯s an ambitious goal. Coal generates about 60% of Indonesia¡¯s electricity, and the fossil fuel has made fortunes for some of the nation¡¯s most powerful business elites.
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