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The report identifies a widening gap between coal capacity and generation, particularly in China and India, where new plants are built as 'system insurance' while renewables displace coal in actual output. Globally, the coal pipeline is narrowing geographically, with 95% of construction concentrated in China and India. However, the report notes a significant slowdown in retirements in the U.S. and EU due to policy interventions and energy security concerns. Regional analyses highlight Indonesia's growth in captive coal for industrial processing, the U.S.'s political push to sustain aging plants, and the EU's structural shift toward a coal-free system. The document also examines the impact of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the Western Balkans and the challenges of rebuilding Ukraine's energy system.

The document asserts that wood biomass power in Japan and South Korea is not carbon neutral and often emits more CO2 than coal. It criticizes the use of subsidies—such as Japan's FIT system and South Korea's REC system—to support these facilities, arguing that such policies prolong the operation of coal plants and divert investment from wind and solar energy. The report highlights safety risks, including fires and explosions, and notes that the carbon debt of wood biomass can take 44 to 104 years to repay.

The document critiques the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry's plan to allocate 20 million hectares of forest for 'food and energy estates'. It argues that this plan constitutes a 'legalization of deforestation' that contradicts Indonesia's global climate commitments (NDC, CBD) and its own FoLU Net Sink 2030 target. The brief highlights the risk of corporate capture, the displacement of Indigenous peoples, and the potential for severe human rights abuses, particularly if the projects are designated as National Strategic Projects (PSN). It emphasizes that food and energy should be treated as human rights rather than business commodities, advocating for local food sovereignty and community-led energy solutions over large-scale industrial estates.

The document critiques Indonesia's energy policies for prioritizing coal-fired power plants (PLTU) despite escalating climate disasters and socio-economic losses. It highlights the filing of two lawsuits at the Jakarta Administrative Court (PTUN Jakarta) by environmental organizations and affected citizens to challenge the RUKN 2025-2060 and RUPTL 2025-2034, arguing that these plans extend the life of fossil fuel infrastructure and ignore the health and economic impacts on local communities.

The report argues that biomass co-firing in East Java is plagued by economic failure, ecological damage, and illegal practices. It finds that Perum Perhutani's energy plantation forests (HTE) have caused significant economic losses for local farmers and are financially unviable for the company. Furthermore, it reveals that PLTU Paiton relies on sawdust from illegal sawmills, often involving stolen timber, and that some suppliers manipulate biomass weight by adding water with the complicity of plant officials. The report also notes that major wood pellet exporters, such as PT Kaliandra Merah Nusantara, primarily export to South Korea rather than supplying domestic power plants.

The report identifies the 'Toxic Twenty' coal-fired power plants in Indonesia, estimating that between 2026 and 2050, they will cause 156,000 premature deaths and USD 109 billion in health-related economic losses. It argues that these plants create a net economic drain, reducing regional GDP and destroying livelihoods in agriculture and fisheries, while criticizing the government's reliance on 'false solutions' like biomass co-firing to extend the life of fossil fuel infrastructure.

The report critiques the implementation of biomass co-firing in West Java's coal power plants, specifically PLTU Indramayu and PLTU Pelabuhan Ratu. It argues that the program facilitates 'false' carbon neutrality claims while causing significant deforestation, land conflicts, and ecological damage. The authors highlight a gap between national energy targets and the reality of biomass sourcing, which often relies on illegal logging or 'fraudulent' practices by Perhutani, rather than sustainable energy forests (HTE).

The document outlines a framework for a just energy transition in Indonesia, advocating for a shift from extractive, centralized energy systems to regenerative, democratic ones. It demands transparency in funding mechanisms like JETP, the protection of human rights and indigenous land sovereignty, and the phased closure of all coal-fired power plants (PLTU) by 2040. The authors call for the rejection of 'false solutions' such as gas, nuclear energy, and carbon capture, while urging the government to implement inclusive green jobs and a bottom-up approach to renewable energy infrastructure.

The report argues that Indonesia's energy transition is being 'hijacked' by established conglomerates and politically connected elites who dominate the supply chain for biomass co-firing in coal-fired power plants (PLTU). It highlights that while PT PLN aims to replace 5-10% of coal with wood biomass by 2025, the land requirements for this—estimated between 2.3 million and 3.9 million hectares—threaten massive deforestation and land grabbing. The document identifies several large groups, including Sinarmas, Medco, and Jhonlin, as key actors using 'shadow companies' or political ties to secure concessions, often leading to conflicts with indigenous and local communities. It further notes a lack of transparency in biomass sourcing, where sawdust from small-scale businesses is used instead of the planned wood pellets, bypassing legality checks.

The document argues that Indonesia is facing a climate emergency, evidenced by record temperatures in Larantuka and high greenhouse gas emissions. It criticizes the government's continued investment in coal-fired power plants (PLTU), the use of biomass co-firing which leads to deforestation, and the environmental damage caused by nickel mining for electric vehicle batteries. The guide advocates for community-based renewable energy and provides a roadmap for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint and engage in collective political pressure to demand accountability from policymakers.