Energy News
ENERGY NEWS
Indonesians seeking climate justice take aim at Swiss concrete giant
stock image only
Indonesians seeking climate justice take aim at Swiss concrete giant
By Dessy SAGITA
Pari Island, Indonesia (AFP) March 14, 2023

Sitting near a wall of stacked rocks, fisherman Mustagfirin looks out to sea from the tiny Indonesian island of Pari, wondering whether his home will exist for much longer.

His battered wooden boat is anchored just offshore, where trees and statues that were once on the beach now sit partially submerged about 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the capital Jakarta.

"I am very saddened and terrified knowing in the next 10 or 20 years Pari island might disappear," the 52-year-old told AFP.

Environmentalists have said most of the 42-hectare (103-acre) island could sink by 2050 because of rising sea levels.

The island's residents are seeking justice, and last month sued Swiss cement giant Holcim over its emissions.

They allege the world's largest cement firm is responsible for climate-related loss and damages in a case that could be a landmark for plaintiffs from developing countries who take on industrial giants.

Environmental litigation against governments and fossil fuel firms has surged in recent years -- but this is the first case filed by Indonesians against a foreign company for climate-related damage.

It is also the first instance of a Swiss company being sued for its alleged role in climate change.

"Winning this case might spark the spirit for other islanders affected by climate change to demand justice," said Puspa Dewy, an environmentalist at Indonesian NGO Walhi.

That spirit of activism can be seen across the picturesque, flat island where posters and graffiti of "Save Pulau Pari" and "Climate Justice Now" are plastered.

- Concrete action -

Residents say saltwater floods as high as 1.3 metres (4.2 feet) have surged since 2019, battering homes and damaging livelihoods.

The floods used to happen twice a year but now hit the island more than a dozen times annually, they say.

Swiss Church Aid (HEKS), an NGO helping the islanders, said Pari has lost 11 percent of its surface area in the past 11 years.

"Where will we live? My ancestors, my parents, my children, and even my grandchildren were all born here," said Mustagfirin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

He is one of the four residents calling for Holcim to reduce its emissions in the civil complaint filed in Zug, where the firm is headquartered.

Another is mother-of-three Asmania, who lost her seaweed farm to flooding and worries about her fisherman husband who trawls the sea in extreme weather for ever-smaller catches.

"We want to send a message to other corporations: please stop thinking only about profits," the 39-year-old said.

They are claiming 3,600 Swiss francs ($3,800) each for damages and protection measures such as mangroves.

A resolution could take four years if it reaches Switzerland's highest court, according to HEKS.

The islanders took aim at Holcim because no one has acted against a major cement company before, environmentalist Dewy said.

Cement manufacturing accounts for about eight percent of global CO2 emissions.

Last year, representatives for the islanders met with Holcim in a mediation process that was not fruitful, prompting the plaintiffs to file their lawsuit.

Holcim, which in 2019 sold its Indonesian operations to a local concrete firm, told AFP it places importance on climate but disagreed with the islanders.

"We do not believe that court cases focused on single companies are an effective mechanism to tackle the global complexity of climate action," it said.

- 'Lose our earnings' -

Pari is dependent on fishing and the tourists who swarm it for quick getaways from the crowded and heavily polluted capital.

Homestays and souvenir shops can be seen across the island of 1,500 people, but rising tidal floods mean more booking cancellations.

"When the flood comes, we lose our earnings. It adds to our suffering," resident Edi Mulyono said.

His frustrations motivated him to join the lawsuit, hoping the case would send a message to other corporations that they should act more responsibly.

"If Holcim takes responsibility, other big corporations will start to think that they are not the only ones living on this earth," the 37-year-old said.

At the beachfront home of welder Arif Pujianto, his motorbike had rusted from saltwater and panels on his wooden house were rotting.

"I live in worry. I fear that when I am asleep, the water will suddenly rise," said plaintiff Pujianto, showing AFP a video of his wife standing in their flooded kitchen.

Mustagfirin and his fellow fishermen regularly take their boats out to plant mangroves in a desperate attempt to slow erosion.

The islanders also create meagre obstacles to the tides, such as making piles of rocks to stymy floods.

But they believe legal barriers may offer their biggest hope.

"Please reduce your emissions so you can help save us," he said.

"Don't wait until it's too late. Don't wait until our island sinks and we disappear."

Related Links

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
ENERGY NEWS
UK announces two-decade clean energy plan
London (AFP) March 13, 2023
Britain on Friday announced a 20-year plan to capture carbon and commit to nuclear energy as it strengthens energy supplies and seeks a net zero economy by mid-century. The project's investment worth 20 billion pounds ($24 billion) will help to create 50,000 jobs, according to a statement. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt was set to outline more details in his budget announcement on Wednesday, it added. Speaking Friday, Hunt said the move would help to avoid a repeat of soaring energy bills that milli ... read more

ENERGY NEWS
Germany hits emissions-reduction target in 2022

Corporate transparency on emissions falls short: report

Hot spring baths block Japan's geothermal potential

Indonesians seeking climate justice take aim at Swiss concrete giant

ENERGY NEWS
Crab shells could help power the next generation of rechargeable batteries

Stalactites and stalagmites in the battery

Fusion's future in the US could come down to dollars and cents

Development of a self-resonant smart energy harvester

ENERGY NEWS
UK offshore staff 'want public ownership of energy firms'

Machine learning could help kites and gliders to harvest wind energy

Polish MPs vote to make building wind turbines easier

New research shows porpoises not harmed by offshore windfarms

ENERGY NEWS
EU races to lead green tech battle against US, China

Modelling superfast processes in organic solar cell material

Perovskite solar cells from the slot die coater - a step towards industrial production

Swansea develops first completely roll-to-roll printable perovskite solar cell

ENERGY NEWS
GE Hitachi BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor achieves pre-licensing milestone in Canada

Rolls-Royce wins UK funds for 'Moon' nuclear reactors

Worry, mistrust meet plans to secure waste from Niger uranium mine

UK welcomes extension of two EDF nuclear power plants

ENERGY NEWS
Turning vegetable oil industry waste into power

European consortium sets CO2 to fuel efficiency record using earth-abundant materials

Cow manure fuels French tractors

How a record-breaking copper catalyst converts CO2 into liquid fuels

ENERGY NEWS
Green hydrogen: How photoelectrochemical water splitting may become competitive

NATO, EU chiefs tour Norway gas platform

Push for carbon-free hydrogen accelerates in US

Switching to hydrogen fuel could prolong the methane problem

ENERGY NEWS
U.N. secretary-general warns world is at a global warming crossroads

Governments to vet crucial UN climate science report

Governments vet crucial UN climate science report

Nearly 130,000 facing starvation in Horn of Africa: WHO

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.