Helter-Smelter: The Crippling Cost of Regulatory Lassitude (with Katherine Hasan)

Reformasi Dispatch

Nickel smelter air pollution, and the cost on the economy and public health, is the focus of substantive research in a new 100-page report from Crea and Celios. Crea analyst Katherine Hassan discusses the findings, methodology, and implications -- including the possibility of much of Eastern Indonesia eventually becoming a highly polluted and impoverished zone. At issue is whether regulatory enforcement will address options for cleaner nickel processing technology, smokestack scrubbing and deployment of renewable energy.
Given the unmatched attributes of Indonesia's nickel resources and the imperative for transitioning to EV fleets worldwide, nickel‑industry externalities take on global significance. Also: Jeff and Kevin discuss how the new parliament may shake out and what a limited cabinet reshuffle signals about post-election politics.
To read Celios x CREA's report on nickel downstreaming industry, go to https://energyandcleanair.org/publication/debunking-the-value-added-myth-in-nickel-downstream-industry/