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The report examines the socio-ecological impacts of energy plantation forests (HTE) in Java, specifically in Sukabumi, Grobogan, and Bojonegoro. It argues that Perhutani uses the narrative of 'critical land' and 'energy transition' to reclaim land from local farmers, effectively continuing a history of agrarian extraction. The study finds that the introduction of biomass crops like gamal and kaliandra restricts community access to food and fuel, transforms these species into 'flex trees' for industrial profit, and employs local labor under precarious, low-wage conditions. The document concludes that these projects often fail economically while exacerbating land conflicts and environmental degradation, recommending a shift toward genuine forestry land reform.

The paper argues that biomass energy projects, framed as climate change mitigation, serve as a mechanism for 'energy grabbing' and the reconcentration of land control by Perhutani. Through case studies in Sukabumi, Grobogan, and Bojonegoro, it demonstrates how the classification of land as 'unproductive' or 'critical' is used to dispossess local farmers and transform them into low-paid laborers. The study finds that the promotion of gamal and kaliandra as 'flex trees' restricts community access to essential resources like firewood and fodder, while triggering localized resistance and criminalization of farmers.

The report argues that the global push to triple renewable energy capacity must prioritize the quality of investments over quantity to avoid 'green extractivism'. It introduces three core criteria for public finance: driving a 100% renewable future by phasing out fossil fuels, ensuring democratic energy systems through grants and decentralization, and centering human rights and nature. The document criticizes multilateral development banks (MDBs) for continuing to fund fossil gas and relying on debt-creating loans rather than grants. Through case studies in India, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Indonesia, it contrasts the harms of large-scale, profit-driven projects with the benefits of community-led, small-scale renewable energy solutions.

The report examines the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), highlighting a labor system where IMIP acts as a central distributor for approximately 40 tenant companies. It details systemic issues including non-transparent recruitment, sporadic worker transfers without consent, and wages that often fall below the district minimum, forcing workers into excessive overtime. The document links these conditions, along with inadequate safety equipment and health services, to a high rate of fatal work accidents. It further analyzes the dominance of Chinese investment via the Belt and Road Initiative and argues that the government's 'downstreaming' policy has failed to reduce poverty in nickel-producing provinces.

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 report examines the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), highlighting a systemic failure in labor protections despite the park's role as a center for nickel downstreaming. It details non-transparent recruitment, unstable employment contracts, and inadequate safety measures that contribute to frequent workplace accidents. The document also analyzes the dominance of Chinese investment via the Belt and Road Initiative and the resulting socio-economic disparities in the Morowali region.

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 argues that the World Bank Group, Asian Development Bank, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have policy gaps regarding 'captive coal'—coal plants dedicated to industrial facilities. It highlights how these loopholes risk funding carbon-intensive processing of minerals like nickel, which are essential for the energy transition, thereby undermining global climate goals.

The report identifies a systemic network of financial support for Indonesia's coal industry, noting that between 2020 and 2023, at least IDR 163 trillion was disbursed to coal-related activities. It highlights the role of state-owned banks, particularly Bank Mandiri and Bank Rakyat Indonesia, as primary funders. The document argues that this financial support, combined with 'regulatory capture' and the influence of a wealthy elite (the 1%), creates a state of 'climate delay.' It specifically criticizes the OJK's updated green taxonomy for labeling certain coal-fired power plants as 'Green' or 'Transition,' which the authors characterize as greenwashing. The report also maps the ownership and political affiliations of seven major coal companies, linking them to politically exposed persons and individuals listed in Offshore Leaks.

The report identifies a systemic link between Indonesia's coal industry, political elites, and national banks, which continues to fund fossil fuel expansion despite global climate commitments.

The report argues that Indonesia's biomass co-firing program primarily benefits large conglomerates and politically connected elites rather than promoting a just energy transition. It highlights how companies affiliated with groups like Sinarmas, Korindo, and Medco dominate energy plantation forest (HTE) concessions, often through opaque ownership structures or 'shadow companies'. The document details instances of deforestation, land conflicts with indigenous peoples (notably in Papua and NTB), and the persistence of 'carbon debts' resulting from the conversion of natural forests to HTE. Furthermore, it notes that some biomass suppliers are also coal traders, and that the actual biomass used in PLTUs often consists of unregulated sawdust rather than the planned wood pellets, undermining the program's environmental claims.

In 2023, global coal capacity reached an all-time high of 2,130 GW, driven largely by China, despite a record low in new construction starts outside of China. Only 15% of current operating capacity is committed to retirement in line with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal, necessitating a phaseout rate of approximately two plants per week through 2040.

The document argues that biomass power in South Korea is a 'false solution' to climate change that causes significant carbon emissions and deforestation. It highlights that biomass has become the second-largest renewable electricity source in Korea due to high REC weightings, despite being more expensive than solar and wind. The authors call for the immediate removal of REC weightings for new utility-scale biomass facilities and a phased sunset of weightings for existing plants by 2025 and 2028.

The report alleges that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided a $600 million loan to Indonesia's state-run utility, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), which lacks a 'no-coal' clause and may be used to fund coal expansion, including the Java 9 & 10 project. This contradicts ADB's public climate pledges and its October 2021 Energy Policy. The report highlights the severe health and environmental impacts of coal in Banten Province, where the Suralaya Power Station operates, and criticizes the lack of financial transparency as loan proceeds are mixed into PLN's general account.

The briefing critiques the G20's "Better, Bolder and Bigger" MDB reform framework, arguing that its focus on leveraging private capital and streamlining processes undermines accountability, ignores debt vulnerabilities in developing nations, and fails to ensure a genuine fossil fuel phaseout. It highlights risks associated with large-scale renewable energy projects and the lack of gender-sensitive policies, urging a shift toward grants-based financing, stronger safeguards, and democratized decision-making.

The report finds that global coal capacity reached a historic high in 2023, increasing by 48.4 GW to a total of 2,130 GW. While new construction starts reached a nine-year low outside of China, China saw an eight-year high in new starts. Only 15% of global operating coal capacity has commitments to close in line with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal. In Indonesia, the report highlights a surge in 'captive' coal plants supporting nickel smelting, noting that 27.5% of Indonesia's operating coal capacity is captive. Despite the US$20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Indonesia's early retirement targets for coal plants shrank from 5.5 GW to 1.7 GW in late 2023.

The report finds that while most countries are reducing coal proposals, global operating capacity grew by 48.4 GW in 2023, primarily driven by China. It highlights a stark divergence between China's construction surge and a record low in new starts elsewhere, while noting that only 15% of global operating coal capacity has a Paris-aligned retirement commitment.

The report by Trend Asia and Walhi Jambi opposes the planned PLTU MT Jambi 1 and 2 projects. It highlights that Jambi already experiences an electricity oversupply, with PLN's capacity at 2,415 MW against a demand of 1,333 MW. The document details the socio-ecological threats to local villages, such as Pemusiran and Lubuk Napal, including water pollution in the Sekamis and Selempado rivers and projected health costs of USD 640 million over 30 years for PLTU MT Jambi 1. It further notes that investors like China Huadian have reportedly withdrawn due to China's policy against building new coal plants abroad, and recommends the immediate cancellation of these projects in favor of renewable energy.

The report examines the proposed construction of the Jambi 1 and 2 mine mouth coal-fired power plants (CFPP), each with a capacity of 2x300 MW. It argues that these projects are unnecessary due to a significant electricity oversupply in the region, where PLN's generating capacity of 2,415 MW far exceeds the community's absorption of 1,333 MW. The document highlights severe social and ecological threats, including the potential for 1,100 premature deaths over 30 years from Jambi 1's pollution and the degradation of the Sekamis and Selempado rivers. It further notes that the projects are primarily designed to create a market for low-calorie coal rather than meet energy needs. Finally, it points to funding instability, specifically the reported withdrawal of China Huadian from the Jambi 2 project following President Xi Jinping's commitment to stop building new CFPPs abroad.