APP Group becomes the first Indonesian company to join RE100

Indonesia now has its first member of RE100, the global initiative of companies committed to running entirely on renewable electricity. APP Group, the pulp and paper producer, announced its membership at the Indonesia Sustainability Forum (ISF) 2026 in Jakarta on 6 October. Helen Clarkson, Chief Executive Officer of Climate Group, presented a "First in Indonesia" trophy to Elim Sritaba, APP Group's Chief Sustainability Officer.

By joining, APP Group commits to sourcing 100 percent renewable electricity across its operations by 2050 at the latest. The move matters beyond one company. Pulp and paper is one of the nine industrial subsectors the Ministry of Industry has prioritised for decarbonisation, and a public, time bound commitment from a major Indonesian manufacturer sends a clear signal to suppliers, lenders and grid planners.

What RE100 membership means

RE100 is led by Climate Group in partnership with CDP. It was launched in 2014 and now counts more than 440 companies across around 140 markets, including global brands such as Apple, Nike and Google. Members commit to 100 percent renewable electricity and report progress publicly each year.

Elim Sritaba described the step as an important one for integrating climate action into APP Group's business strategy. Speaking to Katadata, she framed membership as a way of demonstrating that the company's commitment is genuine. Coverage by detikFinance, JPNN and Ecobiz Asia noted that the company also intends to encourage wider uptake of renewable electricity in Indonesia, not only within its own operations.

Joining RE100 is an important step for APP Group in continuing to integrate climate action into our business strategy.

Clarkson, for her part, highlighted Indonesia's significant renewable energy potential and the need for greater private sector investment to realise it.

Where APP Group starts from

The commitment builds on an energy base that is already majority renewable. According to figures reported by Katadata, APP Group consumed 294.4 million gigajoules of energy in 2025, of which 168.8 million GJ, or about 57.3 percent, came from renewable sources. Including renewable energy certificates, the share rises to 57.7 percent.

The largest renewable source is black liquor, a by product of the pulping process that is burned to recover both energy and chemicals. It accounts for roughly 82 percent of the group's renewable energy use. Other renewable inputs include wood bark, palm fibre, wet sludge and biodiesel. This is circular economy in its most practical form: residues from the mill are turned back into the energy that runs it.

Solar is the next layer. APP Group had 50 MW of solar capacity installed by the end of 2025 and plans to raise it to 100 MW in 2026.

The remaining 125.6 million GJ came from non-renewable sources. Coal made up 106.9 million GJ, about 86 percent of that portion, with the balance from natural gas, oil and refuse derived fuel. The chart above shows coal and the combined remaining fuels separately; the 18.7 million GJ for other non-renewable sources is the difference between total non-renewable use and coal.

The roadmap behind the pledge

RE100 sits on top of the company's Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2030 (SRV 2030). Under that roadmap, APP Group targets a 30 percent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 against a 2018 baseline, alongside greater use of renewable fuels and continued improvements in energy efficiency. Katadata also reports a net zero ambition for 2050.

The sequence is sensible. Efficiency lowers the amount of energy each tonne of pulp and paper requires. Biomass residues already supply most renewable energy on site. Solar adds clean electricity to the mix. Electricity procured from the grid or through dedicated renewable supply can then close the remaining gap as Indonesia's own renewable build out accelerates.

Why it matters for Indonesian industry

APP Group's membership arrives as Indonesian manufacturers face growing demand from international customers for verifiable low carbon supply. In September 2024, RE100 members wrote to the Indonesian government noting that 121 RE100 companies operate in the country, representing about 2.1 TWh of electricity demand, and recommending clearer renewable electricity targets, faster grid expansion and mechanisms that let companies buy renewable power directly. A domestic member now joins that conversation from the inside.

The timing also aligns with national policy. The government's 100 GWp solar programme and the renewable heavy RUPTL 2025 to 2034 point toward a grid that will steadily offer more clean electricity. Large industrial buyers with firm renewable commitments are exactly the kind of anchor demand that helps such projects reach financial close.

Supply chains are the other channel. Global buyers increasingly ask their Indonesian suppliers about the carbon content of what they purchase, and trading partners are introducing carbon border measures. A domestic manufacturer that can show a credible path to renewable electricity, backed by annual public reporting, is better placed to keep and win export contracts. Each such commitment also creates demand for local solar installers, biomass handling services and energy efficiency contractors, which builds the domestic industry that the energy transition relies on.

The forum itself reflected that alignment. ISF 2026, hosted by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) on 6 and 7 October under the theme "Investing for a Resilient, Sustainable and Prosperous World", focused on energy security, green industry and sustainable finance.

Sirkularium's view

APP Group's entry into RE100 is a welcome milestone for Indonesian industry. A first domestic member shows that the initiative is relevant to Indonesian manufacturers, and the company's starting point, with more than half of its energy already renewable thanks to its own process residues, illustrates how circular practices and decarbonisation reinforce each other.

For government and public institutions, three opportunities stand out. First, renewable electricity procurement options for industry, such as green tariffs, renewable energy certificates and direct supply arrangements, will determine how quickly RE100 style commitments can be met. Clear and predictable rules here would help other manufacturers follow.

Second, the pulp and paper model of turning residues into energy deserves wider application. Agro industry, palm oil mills and food processing generate biomass streams that can displace fossil fuels on site. Guidance and incentives that recognise these streams within industrial decarbonisation reporting would encourage replication.

Third, transparent disclosure helps everyone. APP Group's detailed energy mix, including its coal use, gives a clear baseline against which progress can be tracked. Encouraging similar disclosure across priority subsectors would strengthen the national industrial emission reporting system.

What to watch next: whether APP Group reaches its 100 MW solar target in 2026, how it sequences the transition away from coal in its remaining energy use, and whether other Indonesian manufacturers follow it into RE100. Sirkularium sees this as a positive signal of private sector momentum and stands ready to support public institutions in turning such commitments into measurable outcomes.