Zacharias Wuragil, Jakarta – The global civil society coalition has chosen Indonesia to receive the "Fossil of the Day" on Saturday, November 15, 2025, the last day of the first week of the UN Climate Change Conference COP30 in Belem, Brazil. This is the first time Indonesia has received such an award since the COP.
The award, presented by the Climate Action Network (CAN) International, is a criticism of Indonesia for including fossil fuel lobbyists in its delegation to Belem. CAN stated that Indonesia is the worst example of a developing country mimicking what developed countries do at the conference.
A coalition of over 1,900 civil society organizations advocating for a just energy transition worldwide declared that fossil fuel lobbyists interfered with negotiations on Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, which relates to carbon markets. The CAN mentioned that the interference includes adopting lobbyists' talking points, sometimes verbatim, and presenting them as Indonesia's own.
"The interference contradicts science and damages environmental integrity just when Article 6.4 mechanisms should be protecting it," CAN's statement read, which was shared by the Justice Coalition for Our Planet (Justcop) on Monday, November 17, 2025.
Greenpeace Indonesia Country Director Leonard Simanjuntak supported the assessment. In the context of national politics, he stated that the fossil fuel industry oligarchy consistently seeks to delay or obstruct a just energy transition and the achievement of Indonesia's climate targets.
Leonard referred to the presence of 46 fossil fuel industry lobbyists as part of Indonesia's delegation this year as a clear indication of the government's bias towards the fossil fuel industry oligarchy. "The government's attitude clearly injures and neglects the interests of the wider community, which has already experienced various increasingly severe and widespread climate disasters," he said.
Head of Campaign and Public Engagement at Trend Asia, Arip Yogiawan, added that the involvement of Indonesian fossil fuel lobbyists at COP30 does not reflect a serious effort to address the climate crisis. According to Arip, the presence of the fossil fuel lobbyists has caused crucial issues such as the injustice brought about by the massive nickel industry, to be overlooked in the negotiation space.
"The presence of the fossil fuel lobbyists indicates a stronger agenda of extractivism over an agenda to promote intergenerational justice," he said.
The organization Kick Big Polluters Out noted that 1,600 people were given access to COP30 by industry lobbyists. This means that one in every 25 people is a lobbyist. According to the organization, this is the highest number during the COP.
Climate Rangers Coordinator Ginanjar Ariyasuta assessed that the number shows the weakening integrity of climate negotiation processes, especially as the doors are increasingly open to the main actors causing the climate crisis. He believes this condition will burden the younger generation, requiring them to resolve these issues in the future.