Indonesian and international CSOs call on the fashion industry to rule out biomass in order to ensure a clean energy transition away from fossil fuels and false solutions

Indonesian and international CSOs are calling on global fashion brands to phase out both fossil fuels and biomass energy, arguing that biomass is a 'false solution' that drives deforestation and violates human rights. The letter highlights that brands like H&M, Puma, Adidas, and Inditex are promoting biomass in Southeast Asia despite its high emissions and negative impacts on biodiversity and local communities. The authors argue that woody biomass can generate more CO2 per kilowatt hour than coal and risk the loss of over 2 million hectares of natural forest in Indonesia.

• Global fashion brands including H&M, Puma, Adidas, and Inditex are promoting biomass as a 'low carbon' alternative or supporting suppliers in transitioning to biomass thermal energy in Southeast Asia, despite the high emissions associated with the practice.
• The use of biomass as an energy source is described as a 'false solution' that threatens biodiversity, specifically the Leuser Ecosystem and the Sumatran orangutan, and may lead to the loss of over 2 million hectares of natural forest in Indonesia.
• Large-scale biomass production can negatively impact the human rights, food security, and water security of Indigenous peoples and local communities, while the burning of biomass reduces air quality and harms health for those living near generation sites.
• The document argues that woody biomass is incompatible with 2050 net zero goals because it can generate more CO2 emissions per kilowatt hour of electricity produced than coal, and that carbon accounting for biomass co-firing in coal plants is based on 'flawed assumptions'.
• The Indonesian government's plan to generate 23% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025 involves the state-owned firm PLN firing over 10 million tonnes of biomass, including wood pellets, sawdust, palm kernel shells, and rice husks, across 52 coal power plants.

APA

TrendAsia (2023). Indonesian and international CSOs call on the fashion industry to rule out biomass in order to ensure a clean energy transition away from fossil fuels and false solutions. Trend Asia. https://trendasia.org/en/indonesian-and-international-csos-call-on-the-fashion-industry-to-rule-out-biomass-in-order-to-ensure-a-clean-energy-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels-and-false-solutions/

Chicago

TrendAsia. Indonesian and international CSOs call on the fashion industry to rule out biomass in order to ensure a clean energy transition away from fossil fuels and false solutions. Trend Asia, 2023. https://trendasia.org/en/indonesian-and-international-csos-call-on-the-fashion-industry-to-rule-out-biomass-in-order-to-ensure-a-clean-energy-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels-and-false-solutions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=TrendAsia |title=Indonesian and international CSOs call on the fashion industry to rule out biomass in order to ensure a clean energy transition away from fossil fuels and false solutions |publisher=Trend Asia |date=26 September 2023 |url=https://trendasia.org/en/indonesian-and-international-csos-call-on-the-fashion-industry-to-rule-out-biomass-in-order-to-ensure-a-clean-energy-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels-and-false-solutions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{trendasia2023indonesian, author = {TrendAsia}, title = {{Indonesian and international CSOs call on the fashion industry to rule out biomass in order to ensure a clean energy transition away from fossil fuels and false solutions}}, publisher = {Trend Asia}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://trendasia.org/en/indonesian-and-international-csos-call-on-the-fashion-industry-to-rule-out-biomass-in-order-to-ensure-a-clean-energy-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels-and-false-solutions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }