Green Mining for Marine Environmental Protection: A Legal Analysis of Nickel Mining on Raja Ampat
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51278/bce.v6i2.2366Keywords:
Nickel Mining, Green Mining, Land-Based PollutionAbstract
The continued development of electric vehicles (EVs) has increased demand for nickel as a key material in EV batteries, providing substantial economic benefits to Indonesia as one of the world’s leading nickel producers and the holder of the world’s largest nickel reserves. Nevertheless, nickel-mining activities pose significant risks to Indonesia’s marine environment, particularly in Raja Ampat. Indonesia has adopted international and national legal instruments governing marine environmental protection. Articles 193 and 194 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) recognize States’ sovereign right to exploit their natural resources while requiring them to protect and preserve the marine environment and prevent, reduce, and control marine pollution from any source. At the national level, Law No. 32 of 2014 on Maritime Affairs and Law No. 27 of 2007 on the Management of Coastal Areas and Small Islands establish governmental responsibilities for managing, protecting, and conserving coastal and small-island resources. However, the 2025 revocation of four mining licences in Raja Ampat, while PT Gag Nikel’s authorization remained effective, demonstrates regulatory and enforcement uncertainty. The central legal issue is the overlap between mining authorization under the Minerba regime and restrictions on small-island utilization under the coastal and small-island regime. Using a legal normative method, this article analyses legislation, official government information, and relevant academic literature to determine whether a formally valid mining authorization may continue to be exercised on a protected small island. It will also analyze the potential to implement green mining through Indonesia’s national legal instruments to balance the importance of sustainable mineral development with marine environmental protection in Raja Ampat.
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