Bali’s energy paradiplomacy: Subnational quest for net zero emissions by 2045

Abstract

This paper examines how Bali Province leverages paradiplomacy, the international engagement of subnational governments, to advance its Net Zero Emissions (NZE) 2045 target in the energy sector. Through qualitative document-based analysis of official regulations, strategic roadmaps, bilateral memoranda, and secondary sources, this study identifies the regulatory architecture, international partnership channels, and flagship projects that constitute Bali’s energy paradiplomacy. Findings reveal that Bali has constructed a sophisticated policy framework comprising governor regulations, regional legislation, and a technically detailed electricity roadmap requiring over $44 billion in investment. The province engages international actors through multilateral development finance (ADB, AIIB, and World Bank); European bilateral partnerships (KfW, AFD, EU, and UK); Japanese city-to-city cooperation; US technical assistance; and philanthropic coalitions. The 2022 G20 Summit catalyzed a “paradiplomacy multiplier effect,” generating national-level commitments, including the $20 billion JETP that feeds back into provincial programs. However, a significant implementation gap persists: renewable energy contributes just 1.48% of Bali’s electricity against a 2025 target of 11.15%, constrained by grid fragility, land scarcity, legacy fossil fuel contracts, and centralized utility governance. This paper contributes to international relations scholarship by extending paradiplomacy theory into subnational renewable energy governance and proposing the concept of event-driven paradiplomacy multiplier effects.