PLN grows Namibian uranium position

How the humble motorbike became the latest tool of diplomacy in Asia

Sydney Morning Herald

20 hours ago

Sydney Morning Herald

How the humble motorbike became the latest tool of diplomacy in Asia

akarta's traffic makes the peak-hour crawl in Sydney or Melbourne seem like a hypersonic pleasure trip. The sun is often blotted out by smog. The city's pollution, caused not just by cars and bikes but by coal-fired power plants, consistently ranks as the worst in the world on real-time charts. Indonesian businesses see opportunity in this situation and in the millions of drivers for delivery and taxi companies that contribute to the clogged streets and the murky air in Indonesia's biggest city (population 36 million). So does Australia. It has made a $5 million concessional loan to Indonesian electric motorbikes rental company Electrum, which is pitching to these drivers to switch from fossil fuels to electric vehicles, and is backed by some heavy-hitting Indonesian corporates. The Electrum loan is part of a new dawn in solar-powered diplomacy that is rising as Australia's foreign aid programs switch tack to boost green business growth in Indonesia, our most important regional ally. The revamped aid approach is designed to tackle some of the low-income nation's most pressing problems and address an uncomfortable question for Australia: Why should countries such as Indonesia cut emissions and miss the economic benefits of polluting industries that enriched wealthy nations? Made wealthy by coal and gas exports, Australia is seeking to burnish its climate-action credentials by funding prospective green businesses that will help Indonesia's government juggle the goals of economic growth and pollution reduction. It is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into KINETIK, that's the Indonesian acronym for the Australia Indonesia Climate, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Partnership program. The Electrum loan is part of KINETIK's portfolio. Electrum's chief executive Jack Yang said the company's growth was fuelled by the Indonesian government's recognition that transport was a key tool for climate action. 'There's a clear direction there, and there's a wide range of initiatives in place and urban mobility is one of them.' Electric motorbikes could deliver about 20 per cent in savings compared with petrol-powered bikes, including the costs of Electrum's swap-and-go battery system, Yang said. Designed to make charging convenient for busy riders, vending machines installed across the city enable busy riders to lift spent batteries out of their bike and swap them for fully charged replacements. Electrum has rented out about 5000 bikes in Jakarta and Yang said the growth potential was massive given there was a total of 17 million motorbikes on the road across the city. The environmental benefits are high too; transport generates about one-quarter of all Indonesia's pollution, 95 per cent of which comes from road vehicles. Electrum is backed by Indonesia's giant state-owned energy company PLN (Perusahaan Listrik Negara) in partnership with Jakarta's dominant ride-hailing and delivery company, Gojek. Yang said investors in Indonesian businesses were prepared to pay a premium to put their money into cleaner technologies. 'If you diversify into clean energy technology, then you actually have a much higher premium. That means the shareholders are speaking that they want energy companies to consider new sustainable cleaner source of energy.' Harnessing that investment return is one reason for the creation of KINETIK. The other, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says, is that Australia views Indonesia as 'critical to navigating this time of global uncertainty'. 'I am here in Indonesia because no relationship is more important to Australia than this one,' Albanese said in Jakarta in May, on his first foreign visit since his election win. KINETIK is not bankrolling initiatives such as a traditional aid program, but is investing in businesses and entrepreneurs. Its goal is to invest its initial $200 million endowment in businesses that generate returns that can be pumped back into the other green ventures. 'We know that grants from government are never going to be sufficient to fully address the climate challenge, so it is critical to be able to stand up financing mechanisms to support solutions addressing the climate crisis,' said Kylie Charlton, a committee member of Australia Direct Investments, a government investment vehicle that provides funding for KINETIK. Charlton is also managing director of Australian Impact Investments. Indonesia has committed under the Paris Agreement on climate change to cut emissions 32 per cent below business-as-usual by 2030 and to reach net zero emissions by 2060. Switching to cleaner energy is a challenge for Indonesia given the nation has imposed local content laws designed to tackle poverty by boosting local manufacturing to increase jobs and boost the economy. This will increase reliance on electricity, which is almost entirely supplied by coal-fired power. In May, KINETIK announced a $15 million investment in Indonesian company Hijau, that installs and rents rooftop solar panels to commercial customers such as shopping malls. Independent committee member of Australia Direct Investments Jeremy Cleaver said Hijau was selected for its ability to generate a return, which would fuel further financing deals. 'This is an equity investment for Hijau, so it does not need to be paid back. But at some point, the investment will need to be sold, and hopefully, the fund will make a return, to later be invested in other opportunities,' Cleaver said. Hangga Fathana, assistant professor of international relations at Universitas Islam Indonesia, said Australia's investment strategy could strengthen the relationship with the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's government by offering opportunities that were not available from other regional partners who were seeking strategic alignment with Indonesia. 'China offers capital, Korea and Japan come to Indonesia with technology and loans and Australia is offering trust, collaboration and values,' Fathana said. However, Australia faces challenges under Prabowo's goal to boost downstreaming – or investment in a wide range of local value-add industries such as minerals processing, manufacturing and agriculture. 'Any green initiative like what has been done by the Australian government, no matter how noble it is, is competing with this strong pull towards short-term economic gains.' China's influence on Indonesian policymaking was 'quite contentious', Fathana said, arguing that Australia sticks to its strategy. 'Australia needs to show what we call consistency and patience,' he said. China may achieve short-term results, but trust building could pay off in the long term. 'That's subtle but powerful especially for the younger generations of Indonesia who are more aware and more concerned about climate issues.' KINETIK is also backing Indonesian renewable power company Xurya. It builds green power supply, largely for foreign companies operating in Indonesia. Australia has invested more than $4 million in Asian fund manager Clime Capital and $8 million in AC Ventures, both of which have funded the company, which began seven years ago by installing solar panels on commercial premises such as factories and shopping malls under a zero-cost upfront leasing arrangement. Xurya managing director Eka Himawan said foreign companies were motivated by their commitment to climate action to reduce their reliance on Indonesia's coal-powered grid by installing solar panels, rather than economic factors. 'Usually, there's another driving factor behind it,' Himawan said. He said Indonesia's state-owned electricity supplier PLN was also working with Xurya to wean smaller islands off diesel fuel. While the islands of Borneo and Java are powered by coal, smaller islands such as Sulawesi rely on diesel generators. '[Diesel power] is expensive, and it's very dirty,' Himawan said. 'There's an economic driver for PLN to start looking at solar for more remote islands.' AC Ventures managing partner Helen Wong said ructions caused by the Trump administration's withdrawal of United States funding from international climate initiatives created a major headache for decarbonisation in low-income economies such as Indonesia. Most notably, the US has pulled its promised US$4 billion ($6.14 billion) contribution to the Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership, also known as JET-P, which is a US$20 billion joint fund to cut pollution in Indonesia's fossil-fuelled economy. 'If you look at South-East Asia as a whole, I think it's the fourth-largest energy consumer in the world, but right now 80 per cent of the energy is derived from fossil fuel,' Wong said. 'But the world needs to understand that Indonesia has the ability to change, to transition, but it can only do so with the help of developed nations. 'Notwithstanding the Trump withdrawal from JETP, we are very hopeful that other countries can step up.' Wong said the Indonesian government was also under public pressure to decarbonise, which also created opportunities for clean energy investments. 'Last year when Jakarta ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world, there was a lot of social media about how most Indonesians are concerned about their health and the effects on children and the elderly. Loading 'It puts pressure on the government to act and to look at what is behind that pollution.' Rod Brazier, the Australian ambassador to Indonesia, said KINETIK was helping to build a pipeline of commercially viable projects and stronger investment ties between Australia and Indonesia. 'The Indonesian government response has been very positive,' Brazier said. 'Prime Minister Albanese and President Prabowo reinforced the value of KINETIK when they met in Jakarta in May.'

The Age

20 hours ago

The Age

How the humble motorbike became the latest tool of diplomacy in Asia

akarta's traffic makes the peak-hour crawl in Sydney or Melbourne seem like a hypersonic pleasure trip. The sun is often blotted out by smog. The city's pollution, caused not just by cars and bikes but by coal-fired power plants, consistently ranks as the worst in the world on real-time charts. Indonesian businesses see opportunity in this situation and in the millions of drivers for delivery and taxi companies that contribute to the clogged streets and the murky air in Indonesia's biggest city (population 36 million). So does Australia. It has made a $5 million concessional loan to Indonesian electric motorbikes rental company Electrum, which is pitching to these drivers to switch from fossil fuels to electric vehicles, and is backed by some heavy-hitting Indonesian corporates. The Electrum loan is part of a new dawn in solar-powered diplomacy that is rising as Australia's foreign aid programs switch tack to boost green business growth in Indonesia, our most important regional ally. The revamped aid approach is designed to tackle some of the low-income nation's most pressing problems and address an uncomfortable question for Australia: Why should countries such as Indonesia cut emissions and miss the economic benefits of polluting industries that enriched wealthy nations? Made wealthy by coal and gas exports, Australia is seeking to burnish its climate-action credentials by funding prospective green businesses that will help Indonesia's government juggle the goals of economic growth and pollution reduction. It is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into KINETIK, that's the Indonesian acronym for the Australia Indonesia Climate, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Partnership program. The Electrum loan is part of KINETIK's portfolio. Electrum's chief executive Jack Yang said the company's growth was fuelled by the Indonesian government's recognition that transport was a key tool for climate action. 'There's a clear direction there, and there's a wide range of initiatives in place and urban mobility is one of them.' Electric motorbikes could deliver about 20 per cent in savings compared with petrol-powered bikes, including the costs of Electrum's swap-and-go battery system, Yang said. Designed to make charging convenient for busy riders, vending machines installed across the city enable busy riders to lift spent batteries out of their bike and swap them for fully charged replacements. Electrum has rented out about 5000 bikes in Jakarta and Yang said the growth potential was massive given there was a total of 17 million motorbikes on the road across the city. The environmental benefits are high too; transport generates about one-quarter of all Indonesia's pollution, 95 per cent of which comes from road vehicles. Electrum is backed by Indonesia's giant state-owned energy company PLN (Perusahaan Listrik Negara) in partnership with Jakarta's dominant ride-hailing and delivery company, Gojek. Yang said investors in Indonesian businesses were prepared to pay a premium to put their money into cleaner technologies. 'If you diversify into clean energy technology, then you actually have a much higher premium. That means the shareholders are speaking that they want energy companies to consider new sustainable cleaner source of energy.' Harnessing that investment return is one reason for the creation of KINETIK. The other, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says, is that Australia views Indonesia as 'critical to navigating this time of global uncertainty'. 'I am here in Indonesia because no relationship is more important to Australia than this one,' Albanese said in Jakarta in May, on his first foreign visit since his election win. KINETIK is not bankrolling initiatives such as a traditional aid program, but is investing in businesses and entrepreneurs. Its goal is to invest its initial $200 million endowment in businesses that generate returns that can be pumped back into the other green ventures. 'We know that grants from government are never going to be sufficient to fully address the climate challenge, so it is critical to be able to stand up financing mechanisms to support solutions addressing the climate crisis,' said Kylie Charlton, a committee member of Australia Direct Investments, a government investment vehicle that provides funding for KINETIK. Charlton is also managing director of Australian Impact Investments. Indonesia has committed under the Paris Agreement on climate change to cut emissions 32 per cent below business-as-usual by 2030 and to reach net zero emissions by 2060. Switching to cleaner energy is a challenge for Indonesia given the nation has imposed local content laws designed to tackle poverty by boosting local manufacturing to increase jobs and boost the economy. This will increase reliance on electricity, which is almost entirely supplied by coal-fired power. In May, KINETIK announced a $15 million investment in Indonesian company Hijau, that installs and rents rooftop solar panels to commercial customers such as shopping malls. Independent committee member of Australia Direct Investments Jeremy Cleaver said Hijau was selected for its ability to generate a return, which would fuel further financing deals. 'This is an equity investment for Hijau, so it does not need to be paid back. But at some point, the investment will need to be sold, and hopefully, the fund will make a return, to later be invested in other opportunities,' Cleaver said. Hangga Fathana, assistant professor of international relations at Universitas Islam Indonesia, said Australia's investment strategy could strengthen the relationship with the Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's government by offering opportunities that were not available from other regional partners who were seeking strategic alignment with Indonesia. 'China offers capital, Korea and Japan come to Indonesia with technology and loans and Australia is offering trust, collaboration and values,' Fathana said. However, Australia faces challenges under Prabowo's goal to boost downstreaming – or investment in a wide range of local value-add industries such as minerals processing, manufacturing and agriculture. 'Any green initiative like what has been done by the Australian government, no matter how noble it is, is competing with this strong pull towards short-term economic gains.' China's influence on Indonesian policymaking was 'quite contentious', Fathana said, arguing that Australia sticks to its strategy. 'Australia needs to show what we call consistency and patience,' he said. China may achieve short-term results, but trust building could pay off in the long term. 'That's subtle but powerful especially for the younger generations of Indonesia who are more aware and more concerned about climate issues.' KINETIK is also backing Indonesian renewable power company Xurya. It builds green power supply, largely for foreign companies operating in Indonesia. Australia has invested more than $4 million in Asian fund manager Clime Capital and $8 million in AC Ventures, both of which have funded the company, which began seven years ago by installing solar panels on commercial premises such as factories and shopping malls under a zero-cost upfront leasing arrangement. Xurya managing director Eka Himawan said foreign companies were motivated by their commitment to climate action to reduce their reliance on Indonesia's coal-powered grid by installing solar panels, rather than economic factors. 'Usually, there's another driving factor behind it,' Himawan said. He said Indonesia's state-owned electricity supplier PLN was also working with Xurya to wean smaller islands off diesel fuel. While the islands of Borneo and Java are powered by coal, smaller islands such as Sulawesi rely on diesel generators. '[Diesel power] is expensive, and it's very dirty,' Himawan said. 'There's an economic driver for PLN to start looking at solar for more remote islands.' AC Ventures managing partner Helen Wong said ructions caused by the Trump administration's withdrawal of United States funding from international climate initiatives created a major headache for decarbonisation in low-income economies such as Indonesia. Most notably, the US has pulled its promised US$4 billion ($6.14 billion) contribution to the Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership, also known as JET-P, which is a US$20 billion joint fund to cut pollution in Indonesia's fossil-fuelled economy. 'If you look at South-East Asia as a whole, I think it's the fourth-largest energy consumer in the world, but right now 80 per cent of the energy is derived from fossil fuel,' Wong said. 'But the world needs to understand that Indonesia has the ability to change, to transition, but it can only do so with the help of developed nations. 'Notwithstanding the Trump withdrawal from JETP, we are very hopeful that other countries can step up.' Wong said the Indonesian government was also under public pressure to decarbonise, which also created opportunities for clean energy investments. 'Last year when Jakarta ranked as one of the most polluted cities in the world, there was a lot of social media about how most Indonesians are concerned about their health and the effects on children and the elderly. Loading 'It puts pressure on the government to act and to look at what is behind that pollution.' Rod Brazier, the Australian ambassador to Indonesia, said KINETIK was helping to build a pipeline of commercially viable projects and stronger investment ties between Australia and Indonesia. 'The Indonesian government response has been very positive,' Brazier said. 'Prime Minister Albanese and President Prabowo reinforced the value of KINETIK when they met in Jakarta in May.'

Iran says it held 'frank' nuclear talks with European powers

News.com.au

2 days ago

News.com.au

Iran says it held 'frank' nuclear talks with European powers

Iranian diplomats said they held "frank and detailed" nuclear talks on Friday with counterparts from Germany, Britain and France, who have threatened to trigger sanctions if Tehran fails to agree a deal on uranium enrichment and cooperation with UN inspectors. The meeting in Istanbul was the first since Israel launched an attack on Iran last month targeting key nuclear and military sites, sparking a 12-day war and leading Tehran to pull away from working with the UN watchdog. The European diplomats were seen leaving the Iranian consulate shortly before 1100 GMT after spending several hours inside. Israel's offensive -- which killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds of others and in which residential areas and military sites were struck -- also derailed US-Iran nuclear talks that began in April. Since then, the European powers, known as the E3, have threatened to trigger a so-called "snapback mechanism" under a moribund 2015 nuclear deal that would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran by the end of August. The sanctions trigger expires in October, and Tehran has warned of consequences should the E3 opt to activate it. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who attended the talks alongside senior Iranian diplomat Majid Takht-Ravanchi, wrote on X he had used the meeting to criticise the European stance on the 12-day conflict with Israel. He said the snapback mechanism had also been discussed, adding: "It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue." Before the talks, a European source said the three countries were preparing to trigger the mechanism "in the absence of a negotiated solution". The source urged Iran to make "clear gestures" on uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. - 'Common ground' - Gharibabadi warned earlier in the week that triggering sanctions -- which would deepen Iran's international isolation and place further pressure on its already strained economy -- would be "completely illegal". He accused European powers of "halting their commitments" under the 2015 deal, which the United States unilaterally withdrew from in 2018 during President Donald Trump's first term. "We have warned them of the risks, but we are still seeking common ground to manage the situation," said Gharibabadi. Iranian diplomats have previously warned that Tehran could withdraw from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty if sanctions were reimposed. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has urged European powers to trigger the mechanism. Israel's June 13 attack on Iran came two days before Tehran and Washington were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of nuclear negotiations. On June 22, the US joined Israel's offensive by striking Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. Before the war, the US and Iran were divided over uranium enrichment -- Tehran describing it as a "non-negotiable" right, Washington calling it a "red line". The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran is enriching uranium to 60 percent purity -- far above the 3.67 percent cap under the 2015 deal and close to weapons-grade levels. Tehran has said it is open to discussing the rate and level of enrichment, but not the right to enrich uranium. A year after the US withdrew from the nuclear deal, Iran began rolling back its commitments, which had placed restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Israel and Western powers accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has repeatedly denied. - 'New form' - Iran insists it will not abandon its nuclear programme, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi describing the position as "unshakable". Though he claimed enrichment had come to a halt because of "serious and severe" damage to nuclear sites caused by US and Israeli strikes. The full extent of the damage sustained in the US bombing remains unclear. Trump claimed at the time the sites had been "completely destroyed", but US media reports based on Pentagon assessments cast doubt on the scale of destruction. Since the 12-day war, Iran has suspended cooperation with the IAEA, accusing it of bias and failing to condemn the attacks. Inspectors have since left the country but a technical team is expected to return in the coming weeks after Iran said future cooperation would take a "new form". Israel has warned it may resume strikes if Iran rebuilds facilities or moves toward weapons capability. Iran has pledged a "harsh response" to any future attacks. bur-jxb/rmb

PLN grows Namibian uranium position

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How the humble motorbike became the latest tool of diplomacy in Asia

How the humble motorbike became the latest tool of diplomacy in Asia

Iran says it held 'frank' nuclear talks with European powers

PLN grows Namibian uranium position

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How the humble motorbike became the latest tool of diplomacy in Asia

How the humble motorbike became the latest tool of diplomacy in Asia

Iran says it held 'frank' nuclear talks with European powers

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