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The document analyzes the socioenvironmental governance of Indonesia's nickel sector, highlighting the high carbon intensity of laterite processing and the significant ecological and social risks associated with HPAL technology. It identifies critical gaps in the regulatory framework, particularly regarding the lack of mandatory free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) for Indigenous Peoples and insufficient public access to water quality monitoring data.

The document details Indonesia's strategic position in the global minerals market, particularly nickel, driven by aggressive downstream processing policies and export bans. It highlights the economic significance of mining (11% of GDP) and the associated environmental costs, including rising energy-sector emissions and deforestation. Socially, it notes significant gender disparities in the mining workforce and the prevalence of artisanal mining risks.

The document critiques the Indonesian government's strategy of nationalizing companies that violated environmental laws, arguing that state-led initiatives like the Food and Energy Estates are causing massive deforestation in Papua. It warns that these projects risk repeating the failures of the 1990s Mega Rice project and may deter foreign investment due to perceived legal instability and corruption. The author suggests that the government should instead leverage its power to force companies to fund ecosystem restoration and shift agricultural expansion to degraded lands rather than intact forests.

Following devastating floods from Cyclone Senyar in Indonesia, Mighty Earth's CEO argues that deforestation has exacerbated the disaster's lethality. The document highlights the Batang Toru ecosystem as a warning sign and calls for an emergency pause on the Food and Energy Estates project to protect the country's climate resilience and enable a 25-million-acre nature restoration initiative.

The report argues that standard top-down cost estimation methods for energy transitions often overlook socio-spatial factors and marginalized groups. It proposes a new framework that identifies specific losses (recognitional justice), determines preventative and transformative spending (restorative justice), assigns cost burdens (distributive justice), and ensures stakeholder consensus (procedural justice). Using the planned early retirement of the Cirebon 1 coal-fired power plant as a case study, the report demonstrates how to map direct, indirect, and induced impacts across individuals, companies, and governments to more accurately calculate the financial requirements of a just transition.

The report examines how climate hazards—including sea-level rise, extreme heat, and flooding—threaten Indonesia's military infrastructure, food security, and territorial sovereignty. It highlights the strategic risks of continued coal dependence, such as public health crises and corruption, while positioning the renewable energy transition as a critical national security priority to enhance economic competitiveness and geopolitical stability.

Global Energy Monitor identifies a significant opportunity to install nearly 300 GW of solar capacity on surface coal mines closed since 2020 or expected to close by 2030. These sites are highly suitable due to their proximity to existing grid infrastructure and the fact that they are already cleared of vegetation. While China leads in operational conversions, substantial potential exists in Australia, Indonesia, India, and the United States. The transition could create over 570,000 total jobs (permanent and temporary), potentially offsetting global coal mining job losses by 2035. However, challenges include complex land ownership, higher capital costs for remediation compared to greenfield sites, and the need for regulatory frameworks to ensure a just transition for local communities.

The report argues that the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) can unlock significant renewable energy potential and enhance energy security by connecting resource-rich countries with high-demand markets. It highlights specific planned solar and wind projects, the role of the ASEAN Interconnection Master Plan Study (AIMS), and the potential for 30 GW of additional renewable capacity to generate 109 TWh of electricity and create 182,000 jobs.

The report examines Indonesia's path toward net-zero emissions by 2060, highlighting a significant gap between current investment levels and the estimated annual need of USD 73–76 billion. It argues that foreign climate finance is often debt-heavy and unreliable, urging a shift toward domestic funding and structural reforms. The analysis covers the banking sector's limited capacity to finance renewable energy, the underperformance of the national carbon market, and the socioeconomic disparities in energy access. It proposes an "Indonesian Way" consisting of eight strategic actions, including targeted subsidies and the development of a domestic clean-tech ecosystem, to ensure a just and sovereign transition.

The report identifies opportunities to reduce direct emissions from the food, agriculture, and land use (FALU) sector in Southeast Asia by 1.9 billion tons of CO2-eq per year. It highlights that FALU is responsible for 54% of the region's total greenhouse gas emissions, with deforestation and peatland degradation acting as the primary drivers. The analysis emphasizes 'hotspots' where targeted interventions—such as protecting 20% of carbon-dense forests or improving rice cultivation on 20% of farms—can yield disproportionately high emissions savings. Key solutions include legal forest protection, non-continuous flooding in rice paddies, and improved nitrogen fertilizer management. The report also discusses indirect solutions like shifting diets toward the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet and reducing food loss and waste, while detailing co-benefits such as improved air quality, water security, and enhanced farmer incomes.

The document analyzes the environmental impact of Indonesia's palm oil sector, noting a general decline in deforestation over the last decade despite continued production growth. It highlights that while zero-deforestation commitments are widespread, they have not significantly lowered deforestation intensity compared to non-committed exporters. The analysis also emphasizes the critical role of peatlands in driving the sector's greenhouse gas emissions and the shift in export markets toward China and domestic use.

Ember recommends that Indonesia update its coal mine methane (CMM) emission calculations using IPCC 'average' global emission factors, as current estimates based on 'low emission factors' likely undercount emissions. The brief argues for the inclusion of underground mining data, the development of region-specific emission factors for Sumatra and Kalimantan, and the mandate of direct measurement in underground mines to improve safety and accuracy. It further suggests integrating GHG reporting into business licensing and implementing mitigation techniques like pre-mine drainage and Ventilation Air Methane (VAM) capture. Finally, it advises limiting coal expansion to avoid stranded assets and preparing a just transition for coal-producing regions through renewable energy and critical mineral industries.

The report highlights a significant increase in Indonesia's captive coal power capacity, which grew from 1.4 GW in 2013 to 10.8 GW in 2023. This expansion is primarily driven by the metal industry, particularly nickel and aluminium smelters, as part of a national strategy to increase the added value of natural resources. The authors argue that the government's current energy transition efforts focus too narrowly on the utility grid, ignoring the substantial emissions from captive plants. They recommend that the USD 20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) funding be used to establish a clear retirement pathway for these industrial coal plants to avoid significant health and economic burdens.

The report analyzes the contradictions between Indonesia's climate commitments and its energy planning, highlighting a significant oversupply of fossil fuel capacity and the risks of relying on 'false solutions' like biomass and ammonia co-firing.

The report highlights a significant gap between Indonesia's climate commitments and its energy policies, noting a severe oversupply of electricity primarily driven by coal. It argues that the RUPTL 2021-2030 continues to plan for fossil fuel capacity, which contradicts NZE targets. The document further critiques 'new' technologies like biomass and ammonia co-firing, CCUS, and Clean Coal Technology as 'false solutions' that risk extending the lifespan of coal plants rather than accelerating a transition to renewables.

The report finds a significant divide in the fashion industry's approach to sustainable viscose, with a small group of 'frontrunners' making progress while the majority of brands—particularly US and luxury labels—remain inactive. While over 50% of global viscose production is now aligned or committed to EU Best Available Techniques (BAT) standards, the authors argue that voluntary commitments are insufficient and call for mandatory EU legislation on human rights and environmental due diligence to ensure a sector-wide transformation.

The report finds that while some industry frontrunners and major producers have aligned with EU Best Available Techniques (BAT) for closed-loop manufacturing, a significant majority of fashion brands—particularly US and luxury labels—lack transparent policies or commitments. It argues that voluntary initiatives are insufficient to drive sector-wide change and calls for mandatory EU legislation on due diligence and environmental standards to eliminate pollution and deforestation in the viscose supply chain.

The document examines how renewable energy transitions in West Sumatra, Indonesia, can either entrench or challenge existing social inequities. Through case studies of geothermal, micro-hydro, and biofuel projects, it highlights how patriarchal land management and closed decision-making processes exclude women and marginalized groups from benefits. It also analyzes the limitations of national LPG subsidies and grid electrification in reaching the rural poor, concluding that a gender-sensitive approach is essential to ensure just transitions.

The report finds that non-agricultural sectors continue to pose a significant risk to global forests, acting as 'drivers of drivers' where infrastructure like roads enables further clearing. Despite the adoption of the 'mitigation hierarchy' and new sustainability certifications, political inertia and the demand for minerals—driven by both industrialization and the transition to low-carbon technologies—threaten intact forests in the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Indonesia. The document highlights a trend of 'protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement' (PADDD) to facilitate construction and notes that while biodiversity offsets are increasing, they often fail to reduce overall forest impacts.

Indonesia is currently off target for its 2025 renewable energy goals, with installed capacity at 9.4 GW by the end of 2018, failing to meet the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources' target of 15.5 GW. The report identifies a 'trilemma' where the government struggles to simultaneously keep electricity tariffs low, maintain low subsidy costs, and meet renewable targets. To address this, the authors recommend a moratorium on new coal plants, a massive scale-up of rooftop solar, a shift from biofuels to bioenergy, and a revamp of the pricing mechanism to reflect full economic costs rather than just the local average generation cost (BPP).