A non-governmental group has reported that mining operations at a nickel industrial park, primarily backed by Chinese companies, have led to extensive deforestation in Indonesia.
The report from Climate Rights International (CRI) highlights ecological damage in the nickel industry, particularly at the Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park (IWIP), a major nickel processing hub with investors such as China’s Tsingshan Holding Group and France’s Eramet. According to CRI, companies with permits have cleared over 5,300 hectares of tropical forest within the park’s concession since 2018.
This deforestation is raising concerns about the impact of the nickel industry on Indonesia’s rich rainforests, and CRI estimates carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation are equivalent to the annual emissions of 450,000 cars.
Despite the country’s success in reducing forest loss in recent years, there are increasing calls for stricter scrutiny of mining activities and measures to manage nurseries and reforest depleted mines.
