Indonesia's 2030 climate pledge is in doubt after another severe fire season. By September 11, 2026, wildfire emissions reached 76.2 megatons of carbon, about one third of the global total, according to Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. Nearly 900,000 hectares of land had burned by late August, mainly in Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua. That puts pressure on the country's target to make its forestry and land use sector a net carbon sink by 2030, with 2019 set as the baseline year in its UN climate pledge. Peatland degradation is the core issue. Draining and clearing peat for plantations makes the landscape more fire prone, and damaged peat releases carbon even when it is not burning. Greenpeace Indonesia and WALHI say the net sink goal is not credible unless the government stops converting peat ecosystems and restores damaged ones. The article is useful for tracking whether Indonesia's NDC commitments survive real world shocks like El Nino-driven fires.
