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The Kasepuhan Ciptagelar indigenous community in West Java has overcome geographic isolation and market neglect by building its own community-led internet infrastructure. Starting with a partnership in 2018 between Common Room and Awinet, the network has expanded to cover 44 hamlets across 13 villages by 2025, serving up to 2,000 daily users. The 'Ciptagelar Model' utilizes a hybrid backhaul of radio links and fiber optics, funded by a prepaid voucher system that reinvests revenue into the community. This digital sovereignty has enabled the community to fund reforestation—planting 45,000 trees over five years—and document traditional rituals. While successful, the initiative faces challenges including regulatory 'grey zones' in Indonesian law and physical infrastructure damage from extreme weather, such as the collapse of a bamboo tower in late 2024.

The document explores how indigenous and rural communities in Indonesia, India, Mexico, and Colombia are implementing community-centered connectivity and media to resist digital colonialism and preserve cultural integrity. It highlights specific models of digital sovereignty, such as the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar's hybrid network in Indonesia and indigenous mobile virtual network operators in Mexico, while arguing that communication justice requires moving beyond simple technical access to protect local languages and knowledge systems.

Indonesia is experiencing an explosive surge in captive coal power, with total operational and prospective capacity reaching nearly 31 GW. This growth is heavily concentrated in nickel hubs like Central Sulawesi and North Maluku, dwarfing the expansion of the national power grid. The report highlights significant data discrepancies in official JETP mapping and warns that regulatory loopholes in PERPRES 112/2022 allow 'national strategic projects' to bypass coal moratoriums. This trajectory is projected to cause 27,000 additional air pollution-related deaths and USD 20 billion in economic burden, while creating 'sacrifice zones' that risk Indonesia's position in global green supply chains.

Indonesia is experiencing a surge in 'captive' coal-fired power plants—industrial plants not connected to the national grid—which are growing significantly faster than on-grid capacity. Driven largely by nickel smelting in Sulawesi and North Maluku, total operational and prospective captive capacity is projected to reach 31 GW, nearly tripling 2023 levels. The report highlights critical transparency gaps in government and JETP data, regulatory loopholes for National Strategic Projects (PSN), and severe long-term economic and health costs, including an estimated 27,000 additional deaths and USD 20 billion in cumulative economic burdens if these plants are not phased out.

The document examines the evolution of Climate Field Schools (CFS) in Indonesia, from their origins in pest management to their current role in delivering climate information via the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG). Drawing on the EECCLiRe project, it advocates for integrating ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) strategies—specifically agroforestry and biodigesters—into the CFS curriculum. It highlights the role of farmer cooperatives in facilitating certification, market access, and financial resilience, and suggests that combining climate forecasts with market data can empower farmers as sustainable agro-businesses.

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.

Trend Asia criticizes the 2024 vice-presidential candidates for offering technical 'gimmicks' rather than substantive solutions for grassroots issues. The organization argues that the candidates' visions for energy transition and sustainable development remain rooted in extractivism, ignore the legal and social vulnerabilities of local communities, and rely on 'false solutions' like CCUS and geothermal energy while failing to address the structural causes of the climate crisis and the harms of the coal industry.

The document highlights a surge in 'captive' coal power—plants operated off-grid by industrial users—which grew from 1.4 GW in 2013 to 10.8 GW in 2023. A vast majority of this capacity is dedicated to metal smelting, particularly nickel and aluminium, often justified by policies to increase the 'value add' of natural resources. The report warns that while Indonesia is a key supplier of minerals for the global energy transition, the reliance of these smelters on coal contradicts national climate targets and the goals of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). It recommends integrating the phase-out of captive coal power into national plans to avoid significant health costs and carbon emissions.

The report identifies systemic irregularities in the Indonesian National Police's procurement of tear gas, including suspected price inflation of up to 30 times the market value, the selection of unqualified vendors, and horizontal collusion between companies. It notes a significant increase in police budgets under President Joko Widodo and a spike in tear gas equipment purchases in 2017, alongside a rising trend of tear gas use against mass protests from 2019 to 2022.

The SAVi assessment of a proposed 27.4 km BRT system in Bandung, Indonesia, demonstrates that the project is highly profitable from macroeconomic and societal perspectives, despite being economically unviable under conventional financial analysis. While a traditional benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is low (0.27 to 0.28), the sustainable BCR (S-BCR), which includes non-tangible social and environmental benefits, ranges from 6.67 to 7.67. The largest benefits are derived from the value of time saved and increased retail revenues. The report concludes that the project's societal benefits significantly outweigh its investment costs, providing a strong case for sustainable mobility investment in the city.

The assessment finds that while a traditional benefit-cost ratio (BCR) would render the Bandung BRT project non-investment-worthy at 0.27, a sustainable BCR (S-BCR) that includes wider societal benefits results in a ratio of 6.67. The project is projected to generate a cumulative discounted net benefit of USD 2.02 billion between 2022 and 2050, primarily driven by time savings for commuters. Key environmental and social gains include the reduction of at least 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions and the avoidance of 205 fatalities from traffic accidents.

The project aims to protect essential health services in Indonesia against increasing climate variability and extreme weather events. It targets 80 healthcare facilities and 2 hospitals across 8 vulnerable districts in West Java and East Nusa Tenggara, intending to benefit 609,250 direct beneficiaries. The strategy involves integrating climate-risk data into health governance, upgrading facilities with green technologies (such as solar power and rainwater harvesting), and developing community-led health adaptation plans. The project is funded by a USD 25 million GCF grant and USD 2.04 million in co-financing, implemented by the Indonesian Ministry of Health and Save the Children.

The report argues that PLN's plan to use biomass co-firing to reduce emissions is contradictory and potentially destructive. To achieve a 10% co-firing rate across 107 coal power plants, Trend Asia estimates a need for 10.23 million tons of wood pellets annually, requiring energy plantation forests (HTE) of at least 2.33 million hectares. Based on historical data showing 38% of industrial plantation forests originated from deforestation, the report projects that HTE development could lead to the loss of 630,000 to 2.1 million hectares of natural forest, depending on the tree species used.

The report argues that Indonesia's biomass co-firing policy, led by PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), threatens natural forests. To achieve 10% co-firing across 107 coal power plants, Trend Asia estimates a need for at least 2.33 million hectares of energy wood plantations. Based on historical data showing 38% of industrial timber plantations were established via deforestation, the report warns that this policy could increase annual deforestation rates from 630 thousand to 2.1 million hectares. It further highlights contradictions between the government's Enhanced NDC emission targets and its increasing deforestation quotas, while noting that biomass burning creates a 'carbon debt' rather than being carbon neutral.

The report identifies 78 support measures for Indonesia's energy sector between FY 2016 and FY 2020, finding that 94.1% of the estimated value (IDR 1,153 trillion) supported fossil fuels, while renewable energy received less than 1%. The analysis highlights a significant imbalance in funding, with the majority of support benefiting producers over consumers and heavily favoring oil, gas, coal, and fossil-fuel-based electricity, thereby potentially hindering Indonesia's net-zero 2060 goal.

The document analyzes Indonesia's energy landscape, highlighting a projected increase in LPG subsidies to IDR 66.3 trillion in 2022 and a decline in diesel subsidies. It examines the National Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL) 2021–2030, noting that while it targets a 24.8% renewable energy share by 2030, coal remains dominant. The briefing also discusses the challenges of coal phase-out, the introduction of a carbon tax, and the gap between Indonesia's COP 26 commitments and its actual NDC targets.

The report finds that Jakarta's urban climate finance from 2015-2019 totaled USD 44.9 billion, heavily dominated by public funding and a single mega-project, the Giant Sea Wall. Despite having the highest fiscal capacity in Indonesia, Jakarta underutilizes private finance, which accounted for only 2% of total climate investment. The study recommends better alignment between the city, the central government, and satellite cities, alongside the adoption of innovative financing tools like green municipal bonds to reduce reliance on central government funding, especially given plans to move the national capital.

The report investigates the potential for municipal green bonds to support Indonesia's goal of 23% renewable energy by 2025. While provincial governments in Java and Bali generally meet fiscal eligibility criteria, no municipal bonds have been successfully issued as of 2021. Key barriers include complex bureaucratic procedures, a lack of profitable project pipelines, and a conservative investor market primarily motivated by credit ratings and commercial returns rather than green mandates. The authors recommend simplifying issuance requirements, providing clearer central government policy signals, and targeting quasi-government institutions as initial investors.

Trend Asia and partner organizations criticize PT PLN's commitment to stop coal-fired power plant (PLTU) projects that have not reached financial closing, citing a lack of transparency and the continued risk of projects like PLTU Indramayu 2 and PLTU Tanjung Jati A. The statement also condemns the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for its role in funding the Cirebon 2 expansion, arguing that JBIC's pledge to exit coal is too late and should include stopping disbursements for ongoing projects to align with the Paris Agreement.

The report details severe pollution and health crises linked to Aditya Birla Group's viscose plants in India and Indonesia, highlighting discrepancies between the company's public sustainability image and the actual conditions on the ground.