Antara 1 Oct 09;
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government has set itself the target of reducing carbon emissions by as much as 26 percent from their level in 2005 by 2020, a spokesman said.
"Indonesia will lower its carbon emission level and the target is by as much as 26 percent from the 2005 level in 2020," Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said here Thursday.
To achieve the target, the government would follow low-carbon development strategies in the implementation of its Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), he said.
"Although Indonesia is not obliged to reduce its carbon emissions, it will voluntarily pursue low-carbon development strategies," Rachmat said.
The government`s decision to lower Indonesia`s carbon emission level voluntarily was announced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, the United States, recently.
With the decision, Indonesia was the only developing country in the world that had committed itself to a concrete carbon emission reduction plan, he added.
"Indonesia has become an example to other developing countries, the leader in voluntary carbon emisssion reduction efforts," Rachmat said.
Meanwhile, Deputy III for Improving Conservation of natural resources and Environmental Degradation Control Environment, Masnellyarti Hilman explained that the 26 percent decrease in the carbon emission level was based on calculations of emission reduction from mixed energy and renewable energy including geothermal energy, transfer functions of forests (LULUCF / Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry) and peat lands use management.
Masnellyarti said the use of energy and renewable energy mix in 2025 will reduce carbon emissions by as much as 17 percent in 2025.
While the use of geothermal energy will reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent in 2025.
And over the functions of forests (LULUCF), which contributes 54 percent of the total level of carbon emissions, will be able to reduce the level of carbon emissions by 75 percent.
Masnellyarti said the government then set a target rate of carbon emission reduction in 2020 which is a moderate rate of 26 percent.
Earlier, the National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) stated Indonesia`s emission in 2005, estimated at 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide and is one of the largest in the world.
DNPI declared Indonesian emissions is expected to grow 2 percent per year, and will reach 2.8 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2020 and 3.6 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2030.
The main sources of the increase in these emissions were power plants, transportation and peat lands.
Indonesia has the potential to reduce emissions by 2.3 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2030 to carry out more than 150 chance of a reduction in all major sectors that produce emissions.
DNPI stated there are six sectors which can reduce carbon emissions in Indonesia, forestry, agriculture, power generation, transportation, construction and cement, together with emissions associated to the majority peat land emissions to contribute for Indonesia in 2005.(*)
