{"id":60060144,"date":"2024-11-15T15:16:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T15:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?post_type=opinion&p=60060144"},"modified":"2024-12-06T16:08:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-06T16:08:25","slug":"global-south-can-tackle-pollution-climate-issues-with-new-approaches-investment-and-solidarity","status":"publish","type":"opinion","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/pollution\/global-south-can-tackle-pollution-climate-issues-with-new-approaches-investment-and-solidarity\/","title":{"rendered":"Global South can tackle air pollution, climate change with new approaches and solidarity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a senior advisor on strategic economic affairs in charge of economic diplomacy, business economics and nation branding for Indonesia\u2019s portfolios in 2016-17, I learned early on about the country\u2019s plans to build numerous coal-fired power plants to meet its growing energy demand. Foreseeing the potential consequences, I remarked to a colleague: \u201cChina still struggles with air pollution from coal plants, which contributes to health issues and climate change. Shouldn\u2019t we learn from their experience and aim for cleaner growth?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, we were told there was nothing that we could do. Over the following years, Jakarta\u2019s air quality began to deteriorate: a World Bank report<\/a> found that in 2019, PM2.5 air pollution in Indonesia resulted in estimated economic costs of USD 74 billion and caused roughly 183,000 deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Development beyond growth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Like many policymakers, I once believed that to alleviate poverty, we needed to accelerate economic growth and tolerate pollution. I thought that, once my country was richer, we could clean up the pollution. This belief has proven both harmful and costly. In 1996, an OECD study<\/a> found that early environmental investment didn\u2019t compromise economic growth; in fact, countries that delayed its adoption paid higher cumulative costs later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such studies make clear that policymakers must discard the \u201cgrow now, clean later\u201d model. Through my research at Tsinghua University\u2019s Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development (ICCSD) in Beijing, I\u2019ve learned how integrated governance<\/a> of climate, air pollution and economic development can help countries achieve domestic policy goals and fulfil international climate commitments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China\u2019s \u201cwar on air pollution<\/a>\u201d exemplifies this approach. Beijing\u2019s air quality has markedly improved, and the country is now the world\u2019s largest producer of solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles. Two factors stand out in China\u2019s success:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i. Leadership commitment. Top leaders must prioritise pollution control, low-emission development<\/a> <\/sup>and stopping climate change, providing firm strategic direction across government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii. Dedicated oversight. A dedicated ministry, such as China\u2019s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, can coordinate policies, technology and financial investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving integrated governance means sectors must collaborate. The industrial sector must enforce pollution control; the energy sector must accelerate clean energy transitions, and all sectors should align with net-zero<\/a> goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Governments need to implement measures such as carbon pricing, green subsidies<\/a>, guaranteed public procurement, and state investments. Cutting-edge technologies, like near real-time carbon monitoring<\/a>, are crucial to correctly measure emissions and ensure effective policies to prevent pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air quality and investment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Improving air quality requires sustained investment in pollution monitoring, emission control, and clean energy. In Indonesia, we still lack pollution-prevention solutions, and our heavy reliance on coal power and petrol-burning vehicles must urgently shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China, the world leader in solar, battery and electric vehicle production, could be a major investor. Since 2014, Chinese solar companies have made substantial investments<\/a> in Vietnam, creating jobs and upskilling local workers. In March 2023, China\u2019s leading electric vehicle manufacturer BYD broke ground on its first plant in Thailand, marking the latest move<\/a> by Chinese automakers to expand their footprint in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Indonesia and other Global South countries to attract Chinese investment and China\u2019s world-class environmental technology companies, we must align our infrastructure projects and policy goals with China\u2019s global green development strategy and mission of ecological civilisation. This means offering investment opportunities that can simultaneously provide mutual economic benefit and improve air quality, such as in renewables, emissions reduction, waste-to-energy facilities with air pollution controls, nature-based solutions and sustainable ecological protection compensation mechanisms that have proven successful in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his first official state visit, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto met<\/a> with Chinese President Xi Jinping in early November, where the two sides announced USD 10 billion in new Chinese investments in Indonesia. The official joint statement<\/a> from the meeting mentioned cooperation areas, including new energy vehicles, batteries, solar PV, and the establishment of a Green Mineral Resources Partnership. This is a promising first step, which must be closely and carefully followed up to ensure alignment to Indonesia\u2019s and China\u2019s long-term social and environmental goals, and the protection of both countries\u2019 reputations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/div>
A solar cell plant in Vietnam\u2019s Bac Giang province, owned by Chinese company Trina Solar. Since 2014, the province has become one of China\u2019s largest overseas solar cell production bases (Image: Le Yanna \/ Xinhua \/ Alamy)\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Global South solidarity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Global South<\/a> countries, home to 85%<\/a> of the world\u2019s population, are among the most affected by air pollution and climate change. Establishing a unified global system where every country contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions equitably could be transformative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such an endeavour to unite Global South countries has been achieved before. In April 1955, leaders from 29 Asian and African nations, including Indonesian President Soekarno and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, gathered in Bandung, Indonesia, and laid the foundation for non-alignment during the Cold War. In facing today\u2019s planetary crisis, I believe the Global South needs to revisit this spirit of solidarity and establish an International Climate Union through which to share best practices in policy, technology and finance. This would be a concrete follow-up to Indonesia and China pledging<\/a> to take leading roles in advancing South-South cooperation and promoting global governance reform, as prominently mentioned in the joint statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my time in China, I encountered enthusiastic partners \u2013 from scientists and NGOs to enterprises and government agencies \u2013 who could be instrumental in collaborative efforts. Such partnerships can improve air quality, stimulate economic growth, and enable us to integrate into global green supply chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunities to tackle air pollution and climate change abound, but to seize them, our governments must adopt new approaches.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Policymakers must discard the \u201cgrow now, clean later\u201d model, attract investment in renewables and collaborate, writes a former senior advisor for the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60060203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[761,760],"tags":[14274,50041598,20000237],"country":[20000110,50040717],"class_list":["post-60060144","opinion","type-opinion","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-climate","category-pollution","tag-air-pollution","tag-government","tag-sustainable-development","country-china","country-indonesia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGlobal South can tackle air pollution, climate change with new approaches and solidarity<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Policymakers must discard the \u201cgrow now, clean later\u201d model, attract renewables investment and collaborate, writes a former Indonesian government advisor\" 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