Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Globalization took part in mainstreaming the importance of alternative energy resources. The search for more efficient energy recovery has stimulated development technologies to process waste more effectively. Hence, developed countries worldwide have started to turn waste into electricity through a process known as Waste to Energy (WtE). This practice has been spreading globally, as shown by 431 WtE plants in Europe and 89 plants in the United States that were established by 2015. Going forward, developing countries, including Indonesia, are keen to adopt similar solution for challenges related to waste management. This research analyzes the process and potentials of public private partnership (PPP) for WtE as a manifestation of UN’s sustainable development goal 17 that aims to strengthen the global partnership for sustainable development. As the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has limited fiscal capacity to fund its infrastructure development in order to achieve a minimum 7% growth rate to be considered as a developed country in 2025. Taking the case of Indonesia, this research will focus on how the Indonesian Government learns to adopt PPP mechanism with the assistance of numerous multilateral institutions to support the implementation of waste to energy project. This research argues that prudent regulation and proper capacity building are two important factors that can support policy learning process for the implementation of public private partnership. This is useful for assessing how development is perceived in developing countries and how multi-trajectories of modernizations may face resistance in spite of the significance.