<![CDATA[Behind the narrative that Indonesia is the world’s battery king and a global hub for the energy transition lies a fact that is rarely acknowledged. Local communities in nickel mining regions across Sulawesi, North Maluku, and West Papua face ecological damage that threatens their livelihoods. Soaring demand for nickel, driven by the global electric vehicle boom, is fueling mining expansion and imposing social and environmental challenges on communities most dependent on these ecosystems. This study combines the frameworks of Human Security (United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 1994), Political Ecology, and Just Transition to demonstrate that power dynamics within the global nickel supply chain result in an asymmetrical distribution of burdens. Multinational corporations and consumer nations reap the benefits, while water and marine pollution, the destruction of indigenous communities, and damage to coastal ecosystems and tropical forests result from these relationships, creating hardships for local communities due to the loss of nature-based livelihoods. A critical literature review of empirical documentation in Morowali, Central Halmahera, Kolaka, and Raja Ampat districts indicates that these conditions constitute a form of structured transitional injustice, not merely the result of development. Social-ecological exclusion is actively legitimized by the narrative of “green nickel” and national downstreaming policies. The urgent priority that must be addressed immediately is to shift Indonesia’s energy transition policy toward ensuring the well-being of local communities, rather than focusing solely on export growth.]]>
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