Why corruption can derail Indonesia’s climate fight

Seeking change: Women sit on a hill overlooking the Suralaya coal power plant in Cilegon, Indonesia. Criminal corruption has contributed to the worsening climate crisis in the country. — AP

THE global focus on the climate crisis has intensified, particularly with the United Nations holding the annual climate change conference (COP29) in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku.

However, COP29, like many prior COPs, has failed to adequately address the intersection of corruption and the climate crisis, or to explicitly recognise the dangers posed by their combination.