ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the seventh site of interdependence between the companies and the root causes of conflict in Bougainville and West Papua: environmental damage. The concept of 'sustainable development' emerged in the 1980s alongside heightened concerns about the deterioration of the environment, natural resources and the consequences for economic development. In contrast to Western conceptions of the environment, environmental consciousness in Melanesian societies has describes as fusing the social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental landscapes. There are more similarities than differences between West Papua and Bougainville when it comes to environmental damage. Freeport has been accused of breeching numerous Indonesian environmental regulations, which are believed to have not been enforced due to the company's financial and political influence. Environmental criticisms related to BP's Tangguh LNG project relate to the lack of local involvement in environmental management processes, as well as the social and cultural impacts associated with BP's marine exclusion zone.
