Litigating Indonesian Forests for Climate: Hendrikus Woro v Provincial Government of Papua

The forestry sector has been the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Indonesia. The palm oil industry has been highlighted because it defines how the country can achieve emissions reduction as pledged internationally. Domestically, however, the government continues to expand the industry further to Papua, the last forest frontier, which has been resisted by indigenous communities utilising climate litigation. This article reviews the climate change litigation case initiated by the Awyu Tribe of Papua and demonstrates its relevance to the debate on climate policy in the country. The article questions the legality of court rulings that sustain the validity of environmental approval without prior Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) review and the court's refusal to examine climate impacts in the proposed project's EIA document. Consequently, the court decision disrupts the newly established doctrine and practice to incorporate climate assessment within the country's EIA system. © 2024 Agung Wardana. Published with license by Koninklijke Brill BV.