Indonesia's Supreme Court has ordered the government to release environmental impact assessments for two projects in the country's new capital city, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan. The ruling, issued in late 2025, represents a significant victory for civil society groups that had sued for greater transparency.
The court found that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry had violated the 2009 Freedom of Information Law by withholding the Amdal (Environmental Impact Analysis) documents. The studies in question are for a government complex and a residential area within the new capital.
The legal challenge was brought by a coalition including the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) and the Mining Advocacy Network (JATAM). They argued that public access to the assessments was crucial for accountability, given the project's scale and potential ecological impact on Borneo.
The government of President Joko Widodo is proceeding with the massive relocation of the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, citing overcrowding and sinking risks. The court's decision mandates the ministry to provide the documents to the plaintiffs, setting a precedent for transparency in the megaproject's development.
