International Battery Summit to Examine Battery Waste Governance
Energy transition in the transport sector is often presented as an instant solution to the climate crisis. In Indonesia, this narrative has been translated on a massive scale through the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles.
However, behind the government’s ambitious programmes and policies on electric vehicles lies a fundamental question: can this transition proceed without bias, particularly when electrification is applied more to private vehicles?
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy cited a Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) report stating that investment, both domestic and international funding, for private vehicles in 2023 was four times greater than investment for road- and rail-based public transport. In fact, transit-oriented development and infrastructure received only 0.26% of total transport financing overall.
This issue will be examined in a panel discussion titled “How Can the Indonesian Government Support the National Battery Industry and the Electric Vehicle (EV) Ecosystem?” held as part of the International Battery Summit (IBS) 2026 on 26–28 August 2026 in Jakarta. The exhibition and conference on the battery ecosystem and energy transition is organised by the National Battery Research Institute (NBRI) together with the Indonesian Battery Ecosystem Association and Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC).
In addition, there will be sessions on ESG, Circular Economy & Battery Passport. The forum brings together government, industry, academia, researchers and other stakeholders. The various topics discussed fall under the theme “Empowering the Energy Transition through Advanced Battery Technology, Renewable Energy, Storage & E-mobility.”
The event will feature 100 speakers and stakeholders from more than 35 countries. Discussions will focus on developments in battery technology, manufacturing, raw materials, energy storage, renewable energy, electric vehicles, investment, as well as the development of a circular economy and end-of-life battery management.
Speaking in the discussion titled “How Can the Indonesian Government Support the National Battery Industry and the Electric Vehicle (EV) Ecosystem?” will be Amelia Rachmatunisa, Coordinator of the Cross-Border and Conventions Working Group at the Directorate of Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste Management, Ministry of Environment.
Amelia previously noted that the growth of electric vehicles in recent years has shown a very rapid trend and is expected to continue increasing amid fuel limitations caused by the global situation. This condition is encouraging the public to seek alternatives, one of which is the use of electric energy.
Every vehicle, Amelia said, has a service life or lifetime. Eventually, key components such as batteries will enter the end-of-use phase and become waste that must be managed properly.
Today, a recycling-based waste management paradigm is being adopted by utilising materials that can still be reused after their service life ends. Indonesia already has a number of regulations governing environmental protection and management, including in the aspect of hazardous waste. However, these regulations are considered not yet to specifically accommodate electric vehicle battery waste, particularly lithium-based batteries.
“This is indeed a challenge going forward, how we prepare its management,” said Amelia.
Amelia explained that future sources of battery waste will come not only from the industrial sector but also from the public as electric vehicle users. This demands readiness of a management system covering collection through to processing.
Collection mechanisms, such as through workshops and trade-in schemes, she said, could be one solution so that used batteries are not discarded carelessly and can enter the proper management system.
Amelia also stressed that waste reduction efforts need to be undertaken from the earliest stage by selecting raw materials that can be recycled. In this way, waste generated at the end of the use cycle still has value and can be optimally reused.
Meanwhile, physicist and BRIN research professor and founder of NBRI, Evvy Kartini, stated that besides the issue of battery waste governance, Indonesia also has no less fundamental homework. As a country that holds reserves and is one of the world’s largest nickel producers, Indonesia has not automatically become a producer of electric vehicles.
The electric vehicles currently on Indonesian roads are mostly not domestically produced. These issues, according to Evvy, will be examined in various discussions at IBS 2026.
“Energy transition, including that involving electric vehicles, is a long-term process requiring sustained collaboration. This forum is an opportunity for Indonesia to strengthen its role, not only as a producer of battery-related materials and products, but also as a centre of technology, innovation, research and sustainable industrial development,” said Evvy.