Realizing the need for emissions cuts to help stop the phenomena of climate change and global warming, Siemens AG, a top global producer of electronics, machinery and appliances, is asking Indonesia to cooperate in developing environmentally friendly technology.
Hans-Peter Haesslein, CEO of PT Siemens Indonesia, said last week that Siemens has long been taking steps, both in Indonesia and worldwide, to actively develop efficient and environmentally friendly products.
"In Siemens' view, Indonesia boasts huge potential, among the biggest in Asia, in terms of emissions reductions. By developing environmentally friendly technology and innovation, Siemens wants to become a main player in that development.
"With the current trend toward alternative energy, Indonesia and Siemens can work together to develop various important options for the future."
Sector-wise, Haesslein said that in addition to the infrastructure sector, Siemens also saw potential in sectors such as medical equipment, lighting, the automation industry and energy supply in Indonesia.
Haesslein said that Siemens was promoting the use of highly efficient power plants and gradually shifting from the use of coal to gas, while also developing wind and biomass energy.
Indonesia is the third largest emitter of CO2 in the world, releasing around three billion tons of CO2 on average per year between 1997 and 2006, according to data from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Indonesia is now actively developing alternative energy sources to wean itself away from oil dependency. Oil production has been declining in Indonesia in recent years.
According to one estimate, the global losses suffered because of global warming stood at US$190 billion in 2005, up from only $80 billion in 2004.
Herman Requardt, Siemens corporate technology head and a member of the company's corporate executive committee, said that governments and industries worldwide must join forces to create a global framework for setting CO2 limits, and establishing an effective carbon emissions trading system.
He underlined that the key to reducing gas emissions was innovation.
"Siemens is developing technological innovations that help save energy and limit greenhouse gas emissions across the board," he said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post.
The company spends around US$2.8 billion a year on research and development efforts to create environmentally friendly technologies, Requardt explained.
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