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In 2025, global coal capacity increased by 3.5% while production fell by 0.6%, as coal is increasingly used as 'system insurance' rather than a primary energy source. This trend is most prominent in China and India, where renewables are meeting new demand despite record coal plant commissioning. Globally, the number of countries proposing new coal plants dropped to 32. In Indonesia, coal expansion continues through 'captive' plants for nickel and aluminium industries, reaching 20 GW, while national energy plans (RUKN and RUPTL) are criticized for maintaining fossil fuel dependency and lacking a clear phase-out roadmap despite official net-zero commitments.

In 2025, global coal capacity increased by 3.5% while production fell by 0.6%, as coal is increasingly used as 'system insurance' rather than a primary energy source. While the number of countries pursuing new coal projects dropped to 32, China and India continue massive expansions. In Indonesia, the growth of captive coal plants for nickel and aluminium processing contradicts national climate commitments, with the RUPTL 2025-2034 continuing to plan for on-grid coal investment despite a formal moratorium.

The Rempang Eco City project has caused significant environmental and economic losses for local households, with annual environmental losses estimated at IDR 1.3 billion per household, far exceeding their potential income. The study highlights a discrepancy between government claims and actual household incomes, suggesting that promised economic benefits are unlikely to materialize, while noting that non-economic losses—such as cultural and social erosion—remain unquantified.

The report evaluates the impact of the Rempang Eco City project, a National Strategic Project (PSN) intended for solar panel and alumina industries. Through economic valuation, the study finds that the average household income on Rempang Island is IDR 32.77 million per month, contradicting government claims of IDR 3 million. The research estimates that the project causes environmental losses of approximately Rp109 million per household per month, driven by the destruction of mangrove ecosystems, loss of livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture, and forced relocation. The document criticizes the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) for lacking community participation and transparency, and recommends the complete cancellation of the project to ensure socio-ecological justice.

The report examines the energy demands of data centres in ASEAN, particularly those driven by AI, and argues that a dual approach of increasing solar and wind power procurement and enhancing energy efficiency is essential. It highlights that current grid emission targets in key hubs are insufficient and suggests that at least 30% of electricity demand in five ASEAN data centre hubs could be met by wind and solar by 2030 without immediate battery storage. The document emphasizes the critical role of cooling systems in tropical climates and the potential for software optimisation to reduce energy consumption.

The report examines the surge in data centre development in Southeast Asia, highlighting how increasing electricity demand—particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines—threatens climate targets due to reliance on fossil-fuel-dominated grids. It argues that without significant investment in solar and wind energy and improved energy efficiency, the digital boom will lead to a substantial rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

The report highlights that data centres in ASEAN could account for 2% to 30% of national power demand by 2030, risking a significant increase in emissions, particularly in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It argues that approximately 30% of this demand can be met by solar and wind via grids without battery storage. The document advocates for more accessible corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), national sustainability frameworks, and advanced cooling technologies to ensure the sector's growth does not derail regional decarbonisation targets.

Trend Asia criticizes the new PP KEN for extending the use of fossil fuels until 2060, lowering renewable energy targets for 2030, and promoting high-risk or non-renewable 'new energy' sources like nuclear, hydrogen, and ammonia. The report highlights the environmental and social risks of bioenergy, specifically co-firing and Energy Plantation Forests (HTE), which it links to deforestation and land grabbing. It further argues that the policy lacks transparency, excludes community-scale renewable energy, and prioritizes industrial interests over human rights and ecological sustainability.

The report examines the Rempang Eco City project, a National Strategic Project (PSN) in Indonesia's Riau Islands, which is promoted as a green industrial zone for solar panel glass manufacturing. It argues that the project, linked to the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) framework, has resulted in forced evictions, human rights violations, and the marginalization of indigenous Malay, Orang Laut, and Orang Darat communities. The analysis reveals a lack of transparency in the PSN designation process and suggests that the project is driven by a network of global and local elites, specifically citing the involvement of Xinyi Group and the use of shell companies in the British Virgin Islands to obscure beneficial ownership. The report concludes that the transition to green energy is being used as a cover for land grabbing and corruption, calling for the recognition of customary land rights and a re-evaluation of JETP's social justice criteria.

The report examines the Rempang Eco City project, a National Strategic Project (PSN) in Indonesia's Riau Islands, which is promoted as a green industrial zone for solar panel glass production. It argues that the project contradicts the principles of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) by causing forced evictions, human rights abuses, and social conflict among indigenous Malay, Orang Laut, and Orang Darat communities. The analysis reveals that the project's primary investor, Xinyi Group, plans to use a 2 GW coal-fired power plant, undermining its 'green' label. Furthermore, the report alleges systemic corruption and a lack of transparency, identifying PT Makmur Elok Graha (PT MEG) as the concession holder and tracing its ownership through shell companies in the British Virgin Islands to hide the beneficial ownership of figures like Tomy Winata. The document concludes that the project prioritizes elite profit and foreign investment over the rights and basic needs of local residents, who continue to face electricity shortages while the region is developed for energy exports to Singapore.

The document analyzes the legal and social conflicts surrounding the Rempang Eco-City project in Batam, arguing that the Indonesian government has prioritized foreign investment and capital growth over the rights of indigenous communities. It details a complex history of land management through the BP Batam authority, the classification of ancestral lands as state forests or hunting parks to facilitate land seizure, and alleged irregularities in the project's planning and ownership, noting that the 'eco-city' designation does not appear in regional or national spatial plans.

The report alleges that government officials pushing for the Rempang Eco City project—specifically the establishment of a Xinyi Glass solar panel factory—may have business affiliations with solar power plant (PLTS) projects in Batam. It argues that these two PSNs form a business ecosystem where officials' affiliated companies would be potential buyers of the panels produced in Rempang. Additionally, the report claims that PT MEG, a manager of Rempang Eco City, is likely a shell company linked to a tax haven in the British Virgin Islands. The document also notes human rights violations and community resistance, including the use of tear gas against children during protests on September 7, 2023.

The document denounces the violent repression of residents on Rempang Island who protested against a National Strategic Program to build an 'eco-city' without local consent. It highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and criminalization of indigenous peoples and social movements in Indonesia, citing similar conflicts in Wadas and Kulonprogo. The organization demands the cancellation of the Rempang project, an end to police violence, and a permanent moratorium on national strategic projects in indigenous and local community territories.

Friends of the Earth International and WALHI condemn the violent police crackdown on September 7, 2023, on Rempang Island, where residents protested a government-led "eco-city" project. The statement highlights a pattern of non-inclusive development and criminalization of indigenous and local communities in Indonesia, citing similar conflicts in Wadas and Kulonprogo. The organizations demand the cancellation of the Rempang eco-city plan, an end to police violence, and a permanent moratorium on national strategic projects in indigenous and local territories.

The report documents violence by joint security forces (Polri, TNI, Satpol PP, and BP Batam) against residents of Pulau Rempang during land marking activities for the Rempang Eco-city project. It identifies excessive use of force, including tear gas fired near schools, arbitrary arrests, and the creation of a climate of fear through military-style checkpoints. The authors argue that the project, designated as a National Strategic Project (PSN), prioritizes capital interests over the rights of indigenous Malay communities, leading to systemic human rights violations.

Public international finance dominates Indonesia's blue finance, while commercial banks are the primary private sources. MSMEs, particularly in the fisheries sector, face significant barriers to accessing formal credit due to physical collateral requirements and a lack of credit history. While most MSME loans are concentrated in Java, the highest growth is observed in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The report recommends reducing entry barriers, investing in human capacity, and improving infrastructure to spur private investment in the blue economy.

The report evaluates the Indonesian power sector using the Financial Sustainability Electricity Sector (FSES) framework. It finds that while generation capacity and reliability are improving, the sector remains heavily dependent on government subsidies and coal, with renewable energy deployment lagging behind official targets.

The report provides an economic valuation of the environmental and social losses resulting from the Rempang Eco City project on Pulau Rempang. It finds that the average monthly income of local households (Rp32.77 million) is significantly higher than government claims (Rp3 million), and that the projected environmental losses per household (Rp109 million per month) are more than three times their income. The document criticizes the project's 'green economy' narrative, highlighting the destruction of mangroves, loss of traditional livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture, and the marginalization of indigenous communities through forced relocation and criminalization.