New Color of Green

Ten years before the SDGs 2030 due date, all countries will be head over heels trying to meet the contribution targets that have been committed in the so-called Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

For Indonesia, the emission reduction target in the NDC is 29% with its own capacity, and 41% if it is with international support.

This is not necessarily achievable yet, but there has been a new buzz word that is sticking out in line with the upcoming UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November in Glasgow — England. The new buzz word that will be echoed is Net Zero (Carbon Emissions) which is targeted to be achieved by 2050.

Whatever the term, the common thread remains the same — the world wants a greener earth, carbon emissions will continue to be emitted but whoever emits these emissions must be held accountable for their commensurate absorption.

Long before the target of SDGs 2030 let alone Net Zero 2050, we in Indonesia are very likely to make meaningful movements that are all green.

The oil I show below for example, it is a very comprehensive green instrument. The trees (Tamanu or Nyamplung) can be planted on our critical and very critical lands where other plants are reluctant to grow. We have 14 million hectares of land like this, which, if planted with Nyamplung, will have a very massive reforestation impact.

It is not only green trees that are most effective in absorbing CO2, but also a green industries that can be brought by the oils extracted from the kernel of this tamanu fruit.

Whatever industrial raw materials you need today, which are still derived from fossil hydrocarbons, will soon could be replaced by renewable hydrocarbons from tamanu oil, which we call Nu Oil.

Starting from diesel, jet fuel, gasoline, LPG, chemical industry raw materials, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, plastics and all kinds of other hydrocarbon materials, all of which can be replaced by green hydrocarbons, which of course are renewable.

This is relatively easy to do because the essence of the vegetable oil that is squeezed from this tamanu seed is a triglyceride or a collection of long chains of hydrogen and carbon. With catalytic cracking or with an even greener process using enzymes, these triglycerides can be broken down into the hydrocarbon chains we need — for anything.

Welcome to the earth which God willing will be green again.