Despite China's apparent commitment to renewable energy, its government has backed the construction of a fleet of Indonesian coal plants, according to Inside Climate News (ICN).

What's happening?

In 2021, China's President Xi Jinping pledged to stop financing the construction of coal plants in Indonesia, ICN reported. However, this funding has continued. At least 17 new Chinese-backed power units are currently in production at nine Indonesian coal power plants. Many other power plants are also funded by private Chinese companies with ties to the government, providing a convenient loophole.

Now, Indonesia is the seventh-largest polluter in the world. Its pollution output has significantly increased because of Chinese influence. What's more, these dirty energy plants also power factories that manufacture solar panels and other such "green" energy technologies. 

In addition to being environmentally harmful, these projects aren't financially practical. Both China and Japan are "buying more [coal power] than what they are using," Katherine Hasan, a Southeast Asia analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, told ICN. "They are bleeding money."

Why does the construction of these power plants matter?

On a smaller scale, residents living near these power plants report a spike in respiratory infections, according to locals interviewed by ICN. They explained that those who take local action are often monitored by police at best, and threatened at worst. 

Indonesian officials have expressed interest in shutting them down, but cannot afford to do so without the backing of wealthier countries like China. 

Unfortunately, this seems unlikely. A study found that, between 2020 and 2022, the G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S.) invested $142 billion into overseas dirty energy projects.

Pollution on this scale has long-term effects on the rest of the world, intensifying extreme weather events and biodiversity loss. According to a recent study, the global impacts of such pollution have also resulted in irreversible damage to human health worldwide.

What's being done about it?

From the looks of it, China's money is currently integral to Indonesia's economic growth. Unfortunately, that growth comes from outsourced dirty-energy plants. Heliantina told ICN, "Indonesia is committed to achieve net zero, but the world must move forward together with us."

Around the world, nations need to phase out dirty energy sources and replace them with renewable sources such as wind and solar. On an individual basis, we can each do our part by investing in energy-efficient appliances, switching to electric vehicles, and even installing solar panels. 

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