Integrating the polluter pays principle into environmental quality governance: a legal policy analysis for sustainable development in Indonesia

Environmental degradation in Indonesia demonstrates that formal environmental regulations and the implementation of the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) remain constrained by institutional fragmentation, weak law enforcement, and procedural approaches that undermine ecological accountability and sustainability. This study analyzes the implementation of PPP within Indonesia’s environmental governance system and evaluates the regulatory, institutional, and governance factors affecting its effectiveness in supporting sustainable development. The study employs a qualitative legal research design using doctrinal and comparative environmental governance approaches through the analysis of legal documents, regulations, institutional reports, and scholarly literature. The findings reveal that PPP has not yet functioned effectively as a substantive environmental governance mechanism due to fragmented institutions, weak monitoring systems, limited deterrence of sanctions, and political–economic pressures prioritizing industrial growth over ecological protection. Comparative analysis with the European Union and Japan further demonstrates that effective PPP implementation depends on institutional integration, preventive enforcement, regulatory transparency, and public participation. The originality of this study lies in reconceptualizing PPP as a multidimensional governance framework linking regulatory enforcement, corporate accountability, ecological justice, and sustainable environmental governance while offering policy directions for more preventive, participatory, and restorative environmental reform in Indonesia.