12 Mar 2024
The world’s third-largest coal miner, after China and India,
undercounts methane emissions from production of the fuel, according to
analysis
Indonesia
neglected to include methane releases from underground reserves. The
discrepancies could jeopardise Indonesia’s efforts to meet reduction
commitments
Methane
emissions from Indonesia ’s
expanding coal mining sector are significantly under-reported, jeopardising the
nation’s international climate
commitments , according to new analysis from energy think
tank Ember.
The
London-based climate and energy think tank, estimated that based on its
studies, Indonesia’s coal mine methane (CMM) pollution is up to eight times
higher than official figures.
Indonesia
is the world’s third-largest coal miner, after China and India .
The
group said Indonesia was using outdated methods to estimate its emissions, and
was also failing to report CCM from underground coal-mining activities, which
can be far higher than from surface mining.
And
though the country’s last official report to the United
Nations used an approved approach that applies an
emissions factor to each ton of coal extracted or produced, Ember said that
given the nature of the country’s open-cut mines, a higher factor would have
been more appropriate.
The Energy and
Mineral Resources Ministry said the agency needs to review the findings, a
spokesperson said on Monday, a holiday in Indonesia.