The world's current climate change is increasingly felt by us, especially the hot temperatures during the day and night. Some areas in Indonesia alone have experienced it clearly, especially in mid to late 2023. This is the effect of more carbon dioxide gas emissions and industrial activities that cause global warming and an increase in the earth's average temperature. The occurrence of climate change will hurt all creatures in the world, including humans, animals, and plants. The issue of climate change is now a hot topic in the realm of international politics. There is one subfield of theory in international politics that focuses on the green environment. The theory is green political theory. Several countries cooperate to suppress climate change so that it does not get worse. One of them is bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea.
Indonesia's cooperation with South Korea through a bilateral agreement, namely the Indonesia-Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IK-CEPA) negotiations, is interesting to study more deeply, especially in the form of cooperation in the field of electric cars. In the context of international relations, this cooperation can be studied using one of the theories, namely green political theory. What is meant by this green political theory, and how is the application of this theory in the IK-CEPA cooperation relationship between Indonesia and South Korea in the field of electric cars?
Green Political Theory is a branch of political theory that focuses on environmental issues. This theory prioritizes the preservation of non-human nature over human material development. The main attraction of green political theory is its focus on the survival of all natural ecosystems on Earth. It seeks to protect nature for the well-being of humans and non-human species. In general, this theory seeks to address environmental issues through a fundamental restructuring of economic and political institutions to create a decentralized, deindustrialized, and participatory society that is in harmony with the environment. (Dyer, 2018)
Before proceeding to the application of this green theory to Indonesia-South Korea cooperation through IK-CEPA in the field of electric cars, we need to know about IK-CEPA itself. IK-CEPA (Indonesia-South Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) is a bilateral agreement between Indonesia and South Korea that was signed on December 18, 2020, in Seoul, South Korea. This agreement was formed to increase trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. Well, one of the areas of cooperation in the Indonesia-South Korea IK-CEPA is the automotive industry, especially the production of electric cars which aims to campaign for climate change action due to carbon dioxide pollution. Therefore, Indonesia-South Korea cooperation (IK-CEPA) in the field of electric cars can be related to green political theory.
In the IK-CEPA cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea in the field of electric cars, the application of green political theory can be relevant. This theory focuses on environmental issues and emphasizes ecological sustainability and social justice in the political decision-making process. In this electric car cooperation, the application of green political theory can cover several aspects, namely:
1. Promotion of Sustainable Transportation
Electric vehicles are considered more environmentally friendly when compared to engine vehicles with traditional fuels such as gasoline/diesel. The cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea in the field of electric cars is in line with one of the goals of green theory, namely reducing carbon dioxide emissions and minimizing climate change.
2. Investment in Clean Energy Infrastructure
Investments by South Korean companies included in the IK-CEPA cooperation in the development of renewable energy infrastructure, including the electric vehicle sector. These investments contribute to the energy transition from non-renewable energy to renewable energy.
3. Technology Transfer and Innovation