November 17, 2025 | 09:52 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Greenpeace, a member of the Climate Action Network (CAN), which comprises over 1,900 civil society organizations, has rejected the Belem 4x Pledge. This pledge is a commitment to multiply the production of "sustainable fuel," including biofuel and other green fuels, up to 4 times by 2035. The Head of the Global Forest Solutions Campaign at Greenpeace, Syahrul Fitra, stated that the increase in biofuel production would further threaten indigenous territories and communities, exacerbating the potential for forest and peatland fires in the name of green energy.
"Even without the Belem 4x Pledge, the Indonesian government has already intended to sacrifice forests and indigenous communities to facilitate biodiesel and bioethanol projects that are clearly false climate solutions," Syahrul said in a statement released by the Justice Coalition for Our Planet (Justcop) on November 15, 2025.
One of the bioethanol projects is located in Merauke, South Papua. Bioethanol will be extracted from sugarcane plantations. Listed as a national strategic project (PSN), the Bentala Rakyat Heritage Foundation noted that the opening of the Merauke sugarcane plantations had cleared all 4,192 hectares of the Yei indigenous forest as of August 2025.
Overall, the government, through the Coordinating Ministry for Food, aims to open 633,000 hectares of land for sugarcane plantations in South Papua. Meanwhile, 382,759 hectares of forest in Mappi and Boven Digoel, also in South Papua, have been converted into oil palm plantations for biodiesel production.
Greenpeace Indonesia's Forest Campaigner, Refki Saputra, added that the conversion of forest landscapes would release emissions equivalent to 162 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. These emissions would add to the 221 million tons of CO2 from the opening of 560,000 hectares of land in Kalimantan for the Integrated Economic Development Zone (Kapet).
Refki warned, "Large-scale land clearing for energy transition ambitions contradicts the climate targets proclaimed by the government at COP30. Those targets are impossible to achieve amid continued forest encroachment."
Hikmat Soeratanuwijaya, Senior Partnerships and Outreach Officer for Asia at Oil Change International, also criticized the Belem 4x Pledge, stating that it uses sustainable language to justify the use of fossil fuels. He emphasized that the pledge runs counter to the idea of a just energy transition. In such a transition, forest protection and indigenous communities should be the top subjects of mitigation.
"Without stopping forest exploitation, the ambition for biofuels will not be achieved," said Hikmat, whose organization is also a member of CAN. He added that the Belem 4x Pledge would not only sacrifice forests but also damage ecosystems, alter landscapes, and cause environmental disasters in many places, including the submersion of coastal areas and small islands.
Executive Director of Forest Watch Indonesia, Mufti Fathul Barri, emphasized that small islands have limited capacities. Even before unjust industrial projects encroach on them, small islands have long been vulnerable to climate crisis impacts. "Submerging coastal areas and small islands is equivalent to eradicating the humans who live on them," Mufti said.
Executive Director of Auriga Nusantara Timer, Manurung, urged the Indonesian government to take corrective steps in energy transition policies by issuing regulations to ensure that all remaining natural forests are protected areas and ecosystems. "So that seemingly good ideas like this don't turn out to be wolves in sheep's clothing," he said.
The Belem commitment to sustainable fuel is an initiative of the COP30 host, which is taking place between November 10-21, 2025, in Brazil. The commitment refers to types of fuel, including hydrogen, biogas, biofuel, and e-fuel. It is based on a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which calls for a fourfold increase in the production of these fuels, including biofuels, by 2035.
Brazil announced the initiative for the commitment last month, with some supporting countries including Italy, Japan, and India.
Editor's Choice: Over 100 Scientists Urge Halt to Biofuel Expansion Ahead of COP30
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