Indonesia at the Critical Minerals Hub: Forging a Clean Energy Future with Sustainability and Global Standards

FAJAR.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Indonesia is in the main spotlight at the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum (IISF) through an important dialogue session that highlights the nation’s strategic role in the global energy transition.

The 90-minute session organized by PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (PT Vale) entitled “Indonesia at the Epicenter of Critical Minerals: Nickel, Copper, and the Global Energy Transition” brought together leaders from government, industry and sustainability institutions.

The speakers discussed how Indonesia can balance its enormous natural resource potential with environmental responsibility, social inclusion and long-term economic resilience.

This session was moderated by Ashwin Balasubramanian, Partner at McKinsey & Company, and presented Bernardus Irmanto (President Director & CEO, PT Vale Indonesia), Dr. Eng. Tri Winarno (Director General of Minerals and Coal, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources), David Wei (General Manager, Huayou Indonesia), Tom Malik (Head of Corporate Communications, PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk), and Rebecca Burton (Deputy Director, Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance – IRMA).

Global demand for nickel and copper—two critical minerals for electric vehicles, renewable energy and electrification—is projected to increase two- to three-fold by 2040. Indonesia, which has the world’s largest nickel reserves and rapidly growing copper operations, is at the center of this transformation. “Critical minerals are the foundation of the global energy transition, and Indonesia is at the center of it,” said Bernardus Irmanto, CEO of PT Vale Indonesia.