Environment fears over $6 billion Indonesia EV battery project: NGOs
Environmental groups raised concerns Thursday over a $6 billion Indonesian EV battery megaproject backed by Chinese giant CATL which is set to open on a once-pristine island, as Jakarta exploits its huge supply of nickel.
Indonesia is both the world's largest nickel producer and home to the biggest-known reserves, and a 2020 export ban has spurred a domestic industrial boom.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will inaugurate the project -- also backed by China's Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Indonesia's state-owned Antam -- in the east of Halmahera in Indonesia's Maluku islands on Sunday.
The complex will encompass a process from nickel mining to production of cathodes, state news agency Antara reported.
But NGOs say Indonesia and the Chinese firms involved have not given assurances about environmental protections at the site, located just kilometers from a huge industrial park where spikes in pollution and deforestation have been reported.
'CATL, Huayou Cobalt, PT Antam... must commit to respecting the rights of local communities and the environment before breaking ground,' said Brad Adams, executive director at Climate Rights International, in a statement.
'Communities are repressed, forests are cleared, and pollution goes unaddressed with impunity. This is a chance for the Prabowo government to show that it has learned from those failures.'
The presidential office did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Halmahera hosts the world's largest nickel mine by production Weda Bay, where operations have grown and sparked reports of widespread environmental damage.
Greenpeace Indonesia said the new project carried 'great responsibilities' and the environment and locals 'must not take a back seat' to powering electric vehicles.
'If the environment and the rights of our most vulnerable people are not prioritized now... we will all pay a high price through worsening biodiversity and climate crises,' Arie Rompas, forest campaign team leader at Greenpeace, told AFP.
A CRI report this month warned the Indonesian government was allowing environmental damage to go unchecked around Weda Bay.
An AFP report last month detailed how the home of the nomadic Hongana Manyawa tribe was being eaten away by the mine.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Environment fears over $6 billion Indonesia EV battery project: NGOs
Environmental groups raised concerns Thursday over a $6 billion Indonesian EV battery megaproject backed by Chinese giant CATL which is set to open on a once-pristine island, as Jakarta exploits its huge supply of nickel. Indonesia is both the world's largest nickel producer and home to the biggest-known reserves, and a 2020 export ban has spurred a domestic industrial boom. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will inaugurate the project -- also backed by China's Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Indonesia's state-owned Antam -- in the east of Halmahera in Indonesia's Maluku islands on Sunday. The complex will encompass a process from nickel mining to production of cathodes, state news agency Antara reported. But NGOs say Indonesia and the Chinese firms involved have not given assurances about environmental protections at the site, located just kilometers from a huge industrial park where spikes in pollution and deforestation have been reported. 'CATL, Huayou Cobalt, PT Antam... must commit to respecting the rights of local communities and the environment before breaking ground,' said Brad Adams, executive director at Climate Rights International, in a statement. 'Communities are repressed, forests are cleared, and pollution goes unaddressed with impunity. This is a chance for the Prabowo government to show that it has learned from those failures.' The presidential office did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Halmahera hosts the world's largest nickel mine by production Weda Bay, where operations have grown and sparked reports of widespread environmental damage. Greenpeace Indonesia said the new project carried 'great responsibilities' and the environment and locals 'must not take a back seat' to powering electric vehicles. 'If the environment and the rights of our most vulnerable people are not prioritized now... we will all pay a high price through worsening biodiversity and climate crises,' Arie Rompas, forest campaign team leader at Greenpeace, told AFP. A CRI report this month warned the Indonesian government was allowing environmental damage to go unchecked around Weda Bay. An AFP report last month detailed how the home of the nomadic Hongana Manyawa tribe was being eaten away by the mine.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
NGOs: Environment fears over $6 bn Indonesia EV battery project
JAKARTA: Environmental groups raised concerns Thursday over a $6 billion Indonesian EV battery megaproject backed by Chinese giant CATL which is set to open on a once-pristine island, as Jakarta exploits its huge supply of nickel. Indonesia is both the world's largest nickel producer and home to the biggest-known reserves, and a 2020 export ban has spurred a domestic industrial boom. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will inaugurate the project — also backed by China's Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt and Indonesia's state-owned Antam — in the east of Halmahera in Indonesia's Maluku islands on Sunday. The complex will encompass a process from nickel mining to production of cathodes, state news agency Antara reported. But NGOs say Indonesia and the Chinese firms involved have not given assurances about environmental protections at the site, located just kilometers from a huge industrial park where spikes in pollution and deforestation have been reported. 'CATL, Huayou Cobalt, PT Antam... must commit to respecting the rights of local communities and the environment before breaking ground,' said Brad Adams, executive director at Climate Rights International, in a statement. 'Communities are repressed, forests are cleared, and pollution goes unaddressed with impunity. This is a chance for the Prabowo government to show that it has learned from those failures.' The presidential office did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. Halmahera hosts the world's largest nickel mine by production Weda Bay, where operations have grown and sparked reports of widespread environmental damage. Greenpeace Indonesia said the new project carried 'great responsibilities' and the environment and locals 'must not take a back seat' to powering electric vehicles. 'If the environment and the rights of our most vulnerable people are not prioritized now... we will all pay a high price through worsening biodiversity and climate crises,' Arie Rompas, forest campaign team leader at Greenpeace, told AFP. A CRI report this month warned the Indonesian government was allowing environmental damage to go unchecked around Weda Bay. An AFP report last month detailed how the home of the nomadic Hongana Manyawa tribe was being eaten away by the mine.
Arab News
5 days ago
- Arab News
Indonesia continues evacuation despite Iran-Israel ceasefire
JAKARTA: Indonesia is continuing to evacuate its nationals from Iran, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday amid fears of further Israeli bombardments despite ceasefire claims. The Indonesian Embassy in Tehran has been on its highest alert since June 19, following a week of Israeli attacks on Iranian cities that Tel Aviv claimed were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Along with countries which evacuated their citizens from Iran amid growing destruction from Israeli attacks, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has moved 96 Indonesian citizens to Baku, Azerbaijan in its first phase of evacuation. 'There will be a second phase of evacuation, the Indonesian Embassy in Tehran is currently taking registration from other Indonesian citizens who wish to be evacuated,' Andy Rachmianto, director-general for protocol and consular affairs, told Arab News on Wednesday. After Iran retaliated to Israel's initial attacks with ballistic missile strikes, the two countries have been trading missiles, with the Israeli military increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure. According to the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Israeli military attacks have killed more than 600 people and wounded over 5,300 others. Over the weekend, the US joined Israel in attacking Iran by striking Iranian nuclear facilities. In retaliation, Tehran launched a missile attack on the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the Middle East. Hours later, on Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire. The Indonesian foreign affairs ministry said that its missions throughout the Middle East are 'closely monitoring' the escalating situation between Israel, Iran and the US. 'The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages Indonesian citizens who are now in the Middle East to increase vigilance and to continue monitoring the security situation as well as instructions issued by local authorities, and to avoid locations of assets belonging to countries in the conflict,' it said in a statement on Tuesday. Judha Nugraha, the director of citizen protection, told Arab News that the ministry is 'ready to facilitate' the next evacuation. There are nearly 400 Indonesian nationals living in Iran, most of whom are students, the ministry's latest data showed. On Tuesday, 11 Indonesians from the first group of evacuees arrived in Jakarta, to be followed by the arrival of 48 Indonesian nationals and one foreign national married to an Indonesian on Wednesday evening. The rest of the group is scheduled to land in Jakarta on Thursday.
