New Delhi, Sept. 14 -- Biomass power, predominantly generated by burning wood, is growing globally as countries accelerate their transition to use cleaner energy.

"The biomass industry has become a new driver of deforestation in Indonesia," said Timer Manurung, director of Indonesia-based organization Auriga Nusantara, which contributed to the new analysis. "And most of the biomass product is for export, with Japan as the biggest destination."

As Japan's demand for Indonesian wood pellets skyrockets in an effort to meet its own renewable energy goals, critics say continued subsidies and weak oversight of the supply chain are likely to allow continued razing of pristine Indonesian forests.

Global biomass demand is growing, but some expe...