Indonesians are challenging a major German cement producer’s plans to build a mine and factory in Central Java’s Kendeng Mountains. Using a unique German supply chain law, they aim to prevent the project they say could damage a rare ecosystem and affect Indigenous communities’ livelihoods.
Critics of Heidelberg Materials argue the cement giant failed to adequately assess and mitigate potential harms. They fear the limestone mine and cement factory could cause ecological devastation and human rights violations. Complainant Bambang Sutikyo warned, “If the project is implemented, we face an ecological catastrophe, impoverishment, and violations of our human rights.”
Heidelberg Materials representative Katharina Plonsker stated that affected communities were given a chance to express concerns during the permitting process managed by the company’s local subsidiary PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa. She noted that feedback from this exchange was incorporated into project planning, although “no decision on the implementation of the project has been taken.”
The complaint to the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control marks Indonesia’s first use of Germany’s supply chain law in this way. The law ensures human rights are respected throughout big companies’ supply chains. Annabell Brüggemann from the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights in Berlin highlighted that similar regulations are being considered across Europe, making current complaints significant.
The transboundary harm element of these cases is quite interesting, and we might be seeing that more in the future.” – Jameela Joy Reyes, Grantham Research Institute
This case aligns with others where plaintiffs in Cambodia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and elsewhere are taking European companies to court. Examples include a legal complaint in Indonesia by 10 people, supported by organizations like Inclusive Development and Watch Indonesia, alleging inadequate assessment of the project’s potential harm in the Kendeng Mountains.
Gunretno, a member of the Indigenous agricultural Samin community, expressed concern for both environmental impact and loss of land. He emphasized, “We, as global citizens, have a responsibility to figure out how we can work together to protect our one and only Earth.”
Lawyer Syamsuddin Arief from the Semarang Legal Aid Institute supports the Samin community’s efforts to protect their rights to a sustainable life and a healthy environment.
According to the Grantham Research Institute, 226 climate-related lawsuits were filed globally in 2024. Among such cases is a 2023 complaint by four Indonesian fisher people against Swiss company Holcim. They argue the company’s emissions threaten their homes. Holcim intends to appeal a Swiss court’s decision to hear the case.
Moreover, nearly 70 super typhoon Rai survivors in the Philippines filed a complaint against Shell, arguing its emissions worsened the disaster. Shell denies legal liability. In Pakistan, about 40 farmers filed a complaint against Heidelberg Materials and RWE for exacerbating devastating floods in 2022, inspired by a similar case in Peru.
Laws like Germany’s supply chain regulation are shaping corporate accountability worldwide. Laurie Parsons from the Royal Holloway, University of London, noted the law’s role in changing community, company, and governmental mindsets about corporate responsibility.
Brüggemann foresees that with similar regulations anticipated across the EU by 2028, more cases will arise. She points out the Indonesian cement project case is evidence of the strong movement for corporate accountability and regulatory need in a globalized economy.
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Delgado reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writer Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this report.
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