PhD in Management Science and Technology
Current position: Senior Researcher at the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE), Kyoto, Japan
Research focus: transition to green growth in emerging economies with focus on Indonesia
Joni's research work is on Circular Economy or rather Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of industrial products (e.g., consumer goods) and focuses on water, energy, and the food nexus across scales (local, city, national, regional, and global).
Formerly a JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellow at the United Nations University, Joni contributes to policy briefs on green economic growth, climate change governance, and poverty alleviation in Indonesia, which draws on his multidisciplinary research across the forestry, agriculture, and energy sectors. He held two visiting appointments: Visiting Research Fellow at UNU (2013-2015) and Visiting Scholar at The National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS) (2011-2013), both based in Tokyo (Japan).
Joni is also active as Board of Director for the Indonesian Life Cycle Assessment Network (ILCAN). In 2018 he was selected as Lead Author for Working Group III (Climate Change Mitigation) to prepare the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th Assessment Report. Several other books from Joni are listed in the Media box on the right hand side.
CV as submitted for the Green Talents award (2012):
United Nations University, Institute of Advanced Studies, Japan
Research focus: transition to green growth in emerging economies with focus on Indonesia
One of the world’s major emerging economies, Indonesia changed its status from net oil exporter to net oil importer in 2004 and was responsible for about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 2005. It boasts the world’s largest palm oil industry, but faces massive deforestation and big questions about the sustainability of its growth. As Indonesia’s transition to a low-carbon economy takes on increasing urgency, 2012 Green Talents winner Joni Jupesta is helping drive its green-growth evolution.
Currently a JSPS-UNU Postdoctoral Fellow at the United Nations University, Jupesta contributes to policy briefs on green economic growth, climate change governance, and poverty alleviation in Indonesia, which draws on his multidisciplinary research across the forestry, agriculture and energy sectors. While he is pushing to phase out oil subsidies, accelerate the implementation of green technologies (biofuel, geothermal, etc.) or upgrade the skills and capabilities of workers, he emphasises the importance of a broader perspective. “In order for green growth to be inclusive and equitable, development policies must integrate society, economy and environment,” says Jupesta. “True sustainability will require institutional and social innovation as well as technological innovation.”
The jury was impressed with Jupesta’s applications-oriented research and work to integrate international climate protection approaches into Indonesian national policy. It highlighted his focus on low carbon society, sustainable palm oil production, and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) scheme as key issues for the future of Indonesia.
