Expanding Wildfires Threaten Indonesia's Climate Targets as COP30 Looms

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October 22, 2025 | 06:41 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Latest analysis from the Indonesian non-profit in environmental and climate studies, MADANI Berkelanjutan, and the peatland advocacy group Pantau Gambut, indicates wildfire expansion across the country this year. The distribution pattern, it said, is relatively consistent over the years.

Of the total of more than 300,000 hectares of Indicative Burned Areas (AIT) throughout January to September 2025, West Kalimantan is noted as the province with the widest burned areas, reaching 123,076 hectares. Of this amount, 78,267 hectares are located in those included in the subnational operational plan for Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030.

Pantau Gambut also notes that the peat ecosystem is severely affected. In July and August 2025, about 26,761 hectares of peatlands were burned, with Riau and West Kalimantan being the two provinces with the largest burnt peat ecosystems. About 56 percent of wildfires during the same period occurred in locations licensed for oil palm plantations (HGU) and Forest Utilization Business Permit (PBPH).

A researcher from MADANI Berkelanjutan, Sadam Afian Richwanudin, believes that this situation could directly impact Indonesia's emission reduction targets, especially with COP30 in Brazil approaching. "In terms of emissions, millions of tons have already been released. Whether it's from land degradation or the loss of forests that should effectively absorb carbon," he said during a media briefing in Jakarta, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025.

From the total of 300,000 hectares of burned areas, he added, the majority are in natural forests and peatlands, which have a high carbon absorption capacity. This is concerning because FOLU, energy, and net emission are the three sectors with the highest chances to achieve the 31.89 percent emissions reduction target.

Sadam suggests that the government strengthen institutional arrangements to allow integrated mitigation and fire suppression efforts. "So far, each institution has authority that seemingly operates separately. For example, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) suppresses (wildfires), but the restoration falls under the Ministry of Environment, with the Ministry of Forestry handling forest areas," he said.

MADANI Berkelanjutan also underscores weak law enforcement against corporations implicated in wildfires. He emphasizes the need for regulations that facilitate execution and push for restoration. Sadam also stresses the importance of political will for the government to address wildfires as a cross-sectoral issue.

"Not only about the environment, but this issue is also related to climate targets," he said. "It must be synchronized through policies related to, for example, spatial and development planning."

Human resources and funding in the regions also pose the main challenges for wildfire handling. To achieve climate targets, especially in the FOLU sector, Sadam suggests that the government's work should not be sectoral.

If large-scale land clearing continues with subpar wildfire handling, Sadam said, efforts to achieve carbon emission reduction targets will be even more difficult for Indonesia. "The COP30 in Brazil could be just a mere formality," he said.

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