After Indonesia appeared to back away from pledges made at the COP26 climate conference to halt deforestation, hundreds of activists have begun protesting. A rally took place on Friday in the streets of Jakarta. The protests come a day after Indonesia’s environment minister criticized a plan to end deforestation by 2030 and cut carbon emissions. The minister called the global plan at odds with the country’s development plan.
Activists claim the government does not appear to be serious about cutting emissions of greenhouse gasses or halting deforestation. Indonesia’s natural resources account for a third of the world’s rainforest. Activists claim the production of coal has been raise in the country while the government is making false claims to support ending climate change. Indonesia does plan to phase out using coal for electricity by 2056. More than 100 countries promised to end and reverse deforestation by the end of 2030. These countries include Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which collectively account for 85% of the world’s forests.
Read more: Hundreds protest Indonesia’s COP26 reversal on deforestation
