Jakarta (Antara) – The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources continues to support energy security and energy efficiency development in Indonesia, for example, by promoting inclusion in school curricula.
Ministry official Dadan Gustiana said at the APEC Youth Forum on Monday that the government considers youth capacity building as a fundamental part of supporting the energy security and energy efficiency agenda.
In a statement released Tuesday, he said he expects students to learn energy initiatives that can be replicated and implemented.
He also said that teachers can play an important role in creating awareness through sustainable energy saving and energy efficiency programme.
Teachers can provide curriculum-based education and teach students using real-world examples they are familiar with, he said.
According to APEC’s Energy Demand and Supply Outlook data, improving energy efficiency remains a priority for policy action. Energy demand in Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow by 21 percent from 2016 to 2050, he pointed out.
This growth will be particularly driven by Southeast Asia, whose gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to increase by 300 percent and whose population growth is predicted to reach 24 percent, Gustiana reports.
Because of this, energy efficiency and energy conservation have become very important.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend of energy consumption has shifted from the commercial sector to households, therefore, awareness of energy conservation and energy efficiency program can help households control energy consumption.
This will allow the consumption of other products to increase and ultimately, improve national consumption.
Indonesia has also undertaken several energy efficiency and energy awareness development programs in the education sector.
This includes the Energy Conservation Ambassador Program, under which selected ambassadors are appointed to share their experiences in planning and implementing energy efficiency and energy conservation initiatives in their environment.
He also underlined the responsibility of APEC members to focus on the issue of energy efficiency and energy security in the Asia-Pacific region.
Efforts are constantly being made to take precise measures to reduce the impact of energy consumption.
The forum can be used as much as possible and every APEC member can use it as a platform to discuss energy efficiency and energy conservation, Gustiana said.
APEC members can share their experiences and best practices on efforts to improve awareness of energy efficiency and energy conservation.
Gustiana said she hopes everyone will work together to develop programs that can be done in schools, especially for all APEC members.
The APEC Youth Forum is taking place from May 22–25, 2023 in a hybrid (offline and online) format and can be followed live on the ministry’s YouTube channel.
The forum was launched by the ministry in collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Indonesian Institute for Energy Economics (IIEE). It features experts and stakeholders in energy and education as speakers.
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