Recently,A newly released research report reveals significant environmental negligence in Indonesia's coal industry. According to the London Energy Think TankEmber's investigation shows that Indonesian coal mining companies have generally overlooked the severity of methane emissions during their mining processes, which not only masks their full impact on the environment but may also seriously hinder global efforts to address climate change.

The report points out that as a major emitter of carbon dioxide, Indonesia's coal mining companies occupy an important position in global coal production.Ember analyzed the emissions of 10 major coal mining companies in Indonesia, which together account for approximately half of the country's coal production. However, it is shocking that only 4 out of these 10 companies have included coal mine gas (CMM) emissions in their emission lists, indicating a serious lack of environmental regulation in coal mining in Indonesia.

Coal mine gas is methane released during the coal mining process, which belongs to the category of unintentional emissions or released emissions. The contribution of these methane emissions to global warming should not be underestimated. According to Agence France Presse, although methane exists in greenhouse gases for a short period of time, its warming effect is extremely significant. withOn a scale of 100 years, the warming effect of methane is 28 times that of carbon dioxide; If measured on a 20-year scale, it is about 80 times higher. Therefore, for countries that hope to quickly reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change, controlling methane emissions is particularly important.

Ember's research further reveals that the coal mine gas emissions of these 10 major coal mining companies in Indonesia may exceed 8 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, accounting for over one-third of their potential total emissions. This figure is alarming, indicating that the coal mine gas emissions of most Indonesian coal mining companies may even be "equivalent or higher" than their total emissions from burning fossil fuels or purchasing electricity.

Analysts expressed strong concern about this and urged Indonesian coal mining companies to address the severity of methane emissions and take effective measures to measure and report.Ember analyst Dody Setiawan pointed out that accurate measurement and reporting of methane emissions are crucial for decarbonization efforts in the coal mining industry and ensuring compliance with national and international standards. He emphasized that ignoring these emissions not only weakens the company's overall sustainability report, but also overlooks potential significant emission reduction opportunities.

It is worth noting that Indonesia, asOne of the signatory countries of the Global Methane Commitment (GMP) has pledged to take comprehensive actions domestically to achieve the methane emission reduction target by the end of 2030. However, the current emissions situation of coal mining companies shows that Indonesia still faces severe challenges in achieving this goal.