Japan’s biomass demand threatens Indonesian rainforests
New spatial analysis links wood-pellet production to deforestation, biodiversity loss and risks for indigenous areas.
Growing demand for wood pellets for biomass energy is linked to pressure on Indonesian rainforests, according to a new analysis. Japanese imports are rising particularly quickly, while researchers warn of inadequate checks on the wood’s origins.
The analysis was carried out by Earth Insight, the Indonesian environmental organisation Auriga Nusantara and the indigenous organisation AMAN. They mapped areas around wood-pellet and wood-chip factories and compared them with forests, biodiversity areas and places where indigenous communities live.
According to the researchers, 347 indigenous territories, covering more than 4.3 million hectares in total, lie within the logistics zones of wood-chip factories. More than 11 million hectares of forest are also said to fall within those zones. Of this, more than 6.9 million hectares are still undisturbed, according to the analysis. This concerns overlap with areas where wood is collected or transported; the figures do not mean that all the forest mentioned has been cleared.
The province of Gorontalo on Sulawesi emerges from the analysis as an important export centre. The researchers say that, in an area of more than 24,500 hectares of tropical forest linked to a wood-pellet facility operated by PT Gorontalo Panel Lestari, approximately 7,800 hectares have been deforested. This is a finding from the analysis, not an independent determination by an Indonesian government agency.
According to AP, Japan imported 8.64 million tonnes of wood pellets in 2025, 35 per cent more than a year earlier. Indonesian exports to Japan rose, according to the same report, from 66,460 tonnes in 2023 to 402,310 tonnes in 2025. Earth Insight says that Japan took nearly 75 per cent of Indonesia’s wood-pellet exports in 2025.
Biomass is often counted internationally as a renewable energy source because trees and plants can grow again. According to AP, the International Energy Agency reported that global biomass use increased by more than 55 per cent between 2015 and 2024. Critics point out that burning wood causes emissions directly and that forests need time to reabsorb that carbon.
The analysis also warns of habitat loss. Logging zones are said to overlap with three million hectares of orang-utan habitat and to include 43 important biodiversity areas. According to AP, Indonesia’s ministries of Environment and Forestry and of Energy and Mineral Resources did not respond to requests for comment.
The new data do not prove that every biomass plant causes deforestation. They do show that the origins of wood pellets are a climate and nature issue, in addition to being a choice about energy policy. A more reliable assessment requires verifiable trade data, independent forest measurements and information from the Indonesian authorities.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- An NGO analysis links wood-pellet and wood-chip supply chains to pressure on Indonesian forests.
- According to the trade figures used, Japan is a major buyer.
- The analysis reports overlap with indigenous areas and biodiversity areas.
- The Indonesian ministries did not respond to questions from AP.
Left
Arguments Biomass from natural forests should not be subsidised as a climate solution. Climate policy should, according to this approach, take full emissions, biodiversity and the rights of indigenous communities into account.
Values Environmental justice, nature conservation and local communities’ control over decisions.
Consequences The emphasis is on burning less wood and investing more quickly in energy sources with lower life-cycle emissions.
Centre
Arguments Biomass can only be defensible if its origins can be demonstrably shown to be sustainable, for example through residues, strict traceability and independent monitoring. At the same time, the energy transition must remain affordable and reliable.
Values Pragmatism, verifiability, affordability and gradual sustainability improvements.
Consequences A limited role for biomass remains possible, but subsidies and trade rules would become dependent on strict sustainability criteria.
Right
Arguments Countries should retain the freedom to choose an affordable and reliable energy mix for themselves. According to this view, biomass can contribute to energy security and economic development, while abuses should be addressed through better enforcement.
Values Energy security, economic growth, national policy space and practicality.
Consequences From this perspective, a complete ban could increase dependence on imports and raise costs for households and businesses.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures are attributed to Earth Insight or AP and are not presented as independent government measurements. The text distinguishes between measured forest loss, spatial overlap and policy interpretation.
- confirmed The analysis was carried out by Earth Insight, Auriga Nusantara and AMAN. — This is stated in Earth Insight’s publication. source
- confirmed 347 indigenous territories and more than 11 million hectares of forest fall within the logistics zones mentioned. — These figures appear in Earth Insight’s findings. source
- confirmed Japan imported 8.64 million tonnes of wood pellets in 2025. — AP cites this figure and refers to trade data. source
- confirmed Indonesian wood-pellet exports to Japan rose from 66,460 tonnes in 2023 to 402,310 tonnes in 2025. — AP reports both quantities. source
- confirmed Earth Insight says that Japan took nearly 75 per cent of Indonesia’s wood-pellet exports in 2025. — This is stated in the Earth Insight analysis. source
- confirmed The Indonesian ministries did not respond to questions from AP. — AP states that neither ministry responded. source
Editor's note
The core is based on an NGO analysis independently described by AP. The analysis is not the same as a peer-reviewed study or an official Indonesian measurement; Indonesian ministries did not respond to questions from AP.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „biomassa houtpellets”
- de Volkskrant — „biomassa houtpellets”
- NU.nl — „biomassa houtpellets”