CEO Note: Indonesia’s big step for Nature

President Prabowo of Indonesia has revoked the permits of 28 companies linked to deforestation, including North Sumatra Hydro Energy and Agincourt gold mine, following devastating floods in Sumatra. The government is suing six companies for $284 million in damages. Additionally, nearly 82,000 hectares in Tesso Nillo National Park have been returned to the Ministry of Forestry for restoration. Mighty Earth is leveraging these actions to advocate for the reconsideration of the 'Food and Energy Estates' project, which has already destroyed over 75,000 acres.

• President Prabowo revoked the permits of 28 companies associated with deforestation, specifically naming North Sumatra Hydro Energy (NSHE) and the Agincourt gold mine (a Jardine Matheson subsidiary), as well as subsidiaries of the Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) conglomerate.
• The Indonesian government is pursuing legal action against six companies, including forestry, mining, and dam operators, seeking $284 million in damages related to deadly landslides and floods.
• Restoration efforts are underway in Tesso Nillo National Park, where more than 75% of the area has been destroyed; approximately 82,000 hectares have been returned to the Ministry of Forestry.
• The 'Food and Energy Estates' project is identified as a major threat to nature and climate, having already caused the destruction of over 75,000 acres with further deforestation planned.
• The Tapanuli orangutan, the rarest great ape with fewer than 800 individuals, faces critical habitat loss in the Batang Toru ecosystem, where intact habitat is now only 2% of its original size.

APA

Hurowitz, G. (2026). CEO Note: Indonesia’s big step for Nature. Mighty Earth. https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-indonesias-big-step-for-nature/

Chicago

Hurowitz, Glenn. CEO Note: Indonesia’s big step for Nature. Mighty Earth, 2026. https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-indonesias-big-step-for-nature/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Hurowitz |first1=Glenn |title=CEO Note: Indonesia’s big step for Nature |publisher=Mighty Earth |date=22 January 2026 |url=https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-indonesias-big-step-for-nature/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{hurowitz2026ceo, author = {Hurowitz, Glenn}, title = {{CEO Note: Indonesia’s big step for Nature}}, publisher = {Mighty Earth}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://mightyearth.org/article/ceo-note-indonesias-big-step-for-nature/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }