REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Environmental watchdog Greenpeace Indonesia has regretted the two Indonesian presidential candidates' support for developing 20 percent blended biodiesel (B20) fuel without guaranteeing environmental sustainability. Greenpeace Indonesia made the comment in response to the candidates view conveyed during the second round of the presidential debate, held on Sunday evening.

Chief of Greenpeace Indonesia, Leonard Simanjuntak, stated that both Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Prabowo Subianto failed to show their commitment to guarantee that the B20 fuel program would not harm the country's tropical forests, peatlands, and mangroves. During the open debate, the incumbent president and his contender Probowo Subianto did not even raise crucial environmental issues that Indonesia has been undergoing, he noted in a press statement made available to Antara here on Monday.

In connection with their efforts to create energy security for Indonesia, the two presidential candidates neglected the huge potential sources of renewable energy that the country has. Instead of promoting the renewable energy, they relied on crude palm oil.

Greenpeace Indonesia was concerned by the two presidential candidates' emphasis on the use of crude palm oil for developing biofuels, because it potentially contributed to an increasing rate of deforestation, Simanjuntak remarked.

Quoting the data analysis of Hansen from the University of Maryland (2000-2017), the deforestation rate of 2015 and 2017 was recorded at 650 thousand hectares. The imposition of biofuel policy has created a demand for 10.7 million tons of palm oil.

In 2030, the demand for biofuel is expected to reach around 67 million tons. This condition was feared to create new deforestation rate of around 4.5 million hectares and destruction of 2.9 million hectares of peatland, Simanjuntak revealed.

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