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| Indonesia at COP30 Deemed Passive, Civil Society Urges: Stop Being a Spectator in the Climate Crisis. (illustration image) |
JAKARTA, November 25, 2025 — Indonesia’s delegation was widely criticized for failing to play a strategic role at COP30, held in Belém, Brazil, from November 10–21, 2025. Despite being home to one of the world’s largest tropical rainforests and holding a key position as a G20 member, Indonesia was seen as lacking leadership in pushing for ambitious commitments to phase out fossil fuels and halt deforestation.
A number of civil society organizations described Indonesia’s stance as passive, arguing that the country failed to demonstrate strong climate diplomacy during the global climate summit.
Country Director of Greenpeace Indonesia, Leonard Simanjuntak, said Indonesia’s position at COP30 contradicted its constitutional mandate. The preamble of Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution states that the nation must actively contribute to global order—an obligation that also applies to addressing the climate crisis.
“In Belém, Indonesia should have been a key player. Instead, it chose to become a spectator,” Leonard said during the press conference Reflections on COP30: The Next Steps for Just Climate Action, held on Tuesday (Nov. 25, 2025) in Jakarta.
The press conference was attended by representatives from Auriga Nusantara, MADANI Berkelanjutan, WWF Indonesia, Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara, Perkumpulan HuMa, CELIOS, and Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat. Joining online was Yayasan PIKUL from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.
Indonesia Accused of Simply Following Behind
Executive Director of Auriga Nusantara, Timer Manurung, said Indonesia attended COP30 without showing genuine leadership. According to him, the government failed to seize the momentum to push for a clear end to fossil fuel use and deforestation.
“I saw no significant diplomatic role from Indonesia. The country was present merely because it owns the world’s third-largest tropical forest, not because of strong climate performance or diplomacy,” Timer said.
Echoing this, Yayasan PIKUL Executive Director Torry Kuswardono said Indonesia has long avoided taking the lead in global climate forums.
“Indonesia has always waited at the back instead of stepping up as a leader,” he said.
Indigenous Voices Left Out
Ayub Paa of Yayasan Pusaka Bentala Rakyat highlighted the lack of meaningful involvement of Indigenous Peoples in discussions on oil and forests—resources that directly affect their ancestral lands.
He criticized the government for showcasing a grand national pavilion at COP30 and promoting the green economy narrative, while massive deforestation continues at home, particularly in Papua.
“On the global stage we talk about a green economy, but at the same time two million hectares of forest in Papua are being opened up. It’s deeply painful,” Ayub said.
Indonesia Labeled ‘Fossil of the Day’
Socio-Bioeconomy Director at CELIOS, Fiorentina Refani, said Indonesia’s position at COP30 reflected its continued dependence on fossil fuels. Indonesia was even given the label Fossil of the Day for bringing the largest number of fossil fuel lobbyists and delegates.
“This is a serious slap in the face for Indonesia’s weak commitment to energy transition,” Fiorentina said.
She also criticized Indonesia for turning COP30 into a carbon trading arena through daily seller-meet-buyer sessions, targeting transactions worth up to Rp16 trillion. According to her, this aggressive push could create fiscal burdens due to costly monitoring, reporting, and verification systems, while land tenure protections for Indigenous Peoples remain unresolved.
“Without the passage of the Indigenous Peoples Bill, the carbon market risks exploiting customary territories that actually serve as the world’s main carbon sinks,” she warned.
Slow Progress at COP
Climate Change and Energy Lead of WWF Indonesia, Ari Mochamad, said progress in COP negotiations remains slow from year to year, partly due to political shifts following leadership changes in many countries.
He emphasized the importance of stronger pressure from civil society.
“Civil society must push harder so that national governments feel the pressure to act,” he said.
Indigenous Rights Recognized in Official COP Document
Deputy Secretary-General for Organizational Affairs of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), Eustobio Rero Renggi, said COP30 did produce a major step forward through the recognition of Indigenous collective rights in the Just Transition Work Programme.
The official document affirms the importance of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), the right to self-determination, and protection for Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation.
The Indonesian government has also committed to recognizing 1.4 million hectares of customary forests. However, this figure remains far below the 33.6 million hectares of mapped Indigenous territories already submitted to the government, as well as the global land-tenure commitment of 160 million hectares.
“If Indonesia truly wants to lead, the recognition of Indigenous rights must be accelerated. The most crucial step is passing the Indigenous Peoples Bill so that the promises made at COP30 do not remain political rhetoric,” Eustobio said.
Torry added that while COP30 brought symbolic progress for Indigenous Peoples, real implementation in Indonesia will be the true test.
“The struggle at the national level is still long, especially regarding direct access to climate finance for communities, which currently lacks a clear mechanism,” he said.
COP30 Fails to Deliver Concrete Climate Breakthroughs
Executive Director of MADANI Berkelanjutan, Nadia Hadad, said COP30 failed to produce concrete action plans commensurate with the urgency of the climate crisis. Emissions reduction targets remain weak, while climate finance mechanisms remain vague.
“Although there are claims that adaptation funding will be tripled, there is no transparency on who will pay and how it will be implemented. A clear roadmap is still missing,” Nadia said.
Leonard Simanjuntak added that COP30 failed to deliver strong commitments to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Greenpeace’s latest report even shows rising greenhouse gas emissions in several countries, including Indonesia, driven largely by deforestation.
“COP30 has not delivered the results the world desperately needs,” Leonard said.
He noted that no concrete roadmap was produced to phase out fossil fuels, halt deforestation, or significantly scale up climate financing—despite the summit being hosted by Brazil, home to the world’s largest tropical rainforest.
“COP30’s outcome is even weaker than COP28 in Dubai,” he added.
Biodiversity Marginalized
Legal Advocacy Supervisor at Perkumpulan HuMa, Bimantara Adjie Wardhana, said the COP process remains dominated by elite interests. He also warned that biodiversity issues received insufficient attention at COP30.
He recalled that the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development established 27 principles of sustainable development, including the inseparable link between environmental protection and socio-economic development. The declaration later became the foundation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
“We must not allow climate policies to move forward while destroying biodiversity at the same time. Papua is one of the clearest examples,” he concluded.
