14 April 2026 Article

Green Leadership, or Greenwashing?

Indonesia's presence at COP30 in Belém, Brazil carries a prospective ambition toward peatland preservation.

Home to one of the world’s largest tropical peatland reserves, the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry showcased its commitment through the International Tropical Peatlands Centre (ITPC). In one of eight flagship sessions at the Pavilion, Indonesia presents itself as a forest-rich developing nation seeking climate finance, carbon-market partnerships, and a “just transition".

Yet contradictions are evident. Indonesia's market position as the biggest crude oil exporter ironically demands peatlands as a nutritious source for palm trees.

Peatlands are the 'Pandora's box 'in the fight against climate change as it stores 30 percent of land-based carbon, meaning that the destruction of its ecosystem will significantly increase greenhouse gas emission. The failure to address and prevent this is reflected in the catastrophe of Indonesian 2015 widespread wildfires across Kalimantan and Sumatra, which caused 69 million cases of acute Respiratory Infections. During that crisis, peatlands — covering only one-third of the 2.6 million burned hectares — accounted for nearly 90% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Subsequent criticism quickly accumulated. Indonesia was ironically awarded “Fossil of the Day” for bringing a large number of fossil fuel–affiliated actors into its delegation and echoing industry positions in negotiations — especially on Article 6.4 carbon-market rules. This controversy raises accusations of “greenwashing.” Indonesia appears to contradict its underlying practices. Observers warn that flexible safeguards risk producing low-integrity forest offsets while putting indigenous land rights at risk.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s coal phase-out promise depends on uncertain international funding, making its energy-transition narrative look shaky.

Indonesia stands at a crossroads. It wants to lead, profit, and protect simultaneously, but its actions often polarize in different directions. COP30 exposes this tension clearly: a country rich in ecological power, yet entangled in fossil-fuel dependence and credibility gaps.

Whether Indonesia emerges as a genuine climate leader, or a well-packaged contradiction, will depend on how it resolves the clash between its carbon ambitions and its political realities.