Land Acquisition Governance and Its Implications for Renewable Energy Development in Indonesia and the Philippines

Abstract

This article examines the role of multilateral social and environmental safeguards in land acquisition for renewable energy (RE) development in Southeast Asia. We assessed the development of two large-scale wind projects in Indonesia and the Philippines through a qualitative comparative case study analysis. We find that the influence of safeguards is the product of two factors: the timing of multilateral funds in project development and the relative ease through which developers can acquire land through non-safeguard-compliant pathways. Our findings highlight the continued importance of land use policy and planning in mediating the social and environmental impacts of RE infrastructure.