Indonesia to show the world how to prevent forest fires at COP21

thejakartapost.com 27 Nov 15;

Indonesia will present it's ideas on how to prevent forest fires and rehabilitate damaged peatland as part of climate change mitigation efforts at the upcoming UN climate change conference in Paris, France.

National Development Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil said on Friday that Indonesia's agenda at the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP21 conference scheduled to begin on Nov. 30 was to promote serious management of forest fires.

"The most important thing is serious prevention, so that there will be no more forest fires, especially ones caused by humans. If they were caused by natural factors it would be different, but we also need to emphasize readiness," he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

The government has said it would accelerate peatland rehabilitation and halt new peatland clearing concessions following the massive forest fires that blanketed parts of the country over the last few months.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will lead the Indonesian delegation to Paris and is scheduled to depart on Monday. The event will be attended by 147 state leaders with the aim of deliberating measures to address climate change.

Indonesia will bring its previously announced target of 29 percent lower carbon emissions by 2030 as it's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) as part of the climate negotiations.

Sofyan said that Indonesia would focus on energy, transportation, waste management, food and other sectors in its efforts to lower carbon emission.

Separately, cabinet secretary Pramono Anung said Indonesia would also raise global awareness about the forest and peatland fires.

"Indonesia expects that the world will also be concerned about [the fires] and not only blame us. Because they have said that our forests are the lungs of the world," he said as quoted by kompas.com

Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the government would summarize Indonesia's climate change policies in the conference and also remind the world that Indonesia was geographically prone to climate change, but at the same time, also needed space to boost its economic development.

Millions of Indonesians were affected by toxic haze due to severe forest and peatland fires in some parts of Kalimantan and Sumatra in recent months from slash-and-burn land clearing methods and a prolonged dry season.

Analysis using data from the NASA satellite has shown that Indonesia's emissions from forest and land fires skyrocketed this year and surpassed those from the country's severe 2006 fires, straittimes.com reported last month.

In October, total emissions from the fires soared from nearly one billion tonnes to nearly 1.4 billion tonnes. The fires also pushed Indonesia into the position of the country with the third-biggest polluter, after China and the US. (afr/rin)


Indonesia wants united front in climate mitigation efforts
Ina Parlina and Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post 27 Nov 15;

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is calling for shared efforts from both developed and developing nations to address climate change ahead of the upcoming UN climate talks, COP21, in Paris at the end of the month.

Leaders from 200 countries are expected to meet on Nov. 30 during the leaders’ event at the summit, which is expected to produce the first global commitment to cut emissions, which will extend or replace the Kyoto Protocol.

The Foreign Ministry’s director general of economic development and environmental affairs, Toffery P. Soetikno, said Indonesia would demand that developed countries contribute more to supporting developing countries in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions through, for example, increased financial support.

“There are differences [in the amount of carbon emitted]. We ask developed countries to put in more effort, while developing countries also contribute to addressing this issue,” Toffery said on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi has said that Jokowi will also address the importance of respecting the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities.

Jokowi is set to arrive in Paris on Nov. 29 and is scheduled to deliver his statement during the leaders’ event on Nov. 30.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said Indonesia would also seek political push for the joint efforts.

Jokowi has used various international forums in the past weeks, for example, the G20 Summit and the ASEAN Summit, to call on developed countries to act as role models in reducing carbon emissions, leading the action to make cuts, as well as to support the efforts of developing countries. Jokowi has also demanded that developed countries increase their financial contributions to developing countries and participate in technology transfers and capacity building.

Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said earlier that Jokowi would also bring to the table issues related to peatland management and fires.

“Peatland [fires and management] has become a global issue; therefore, Indonesia, of course, hopes the world also thinks about the issue,” Pramono said on Wednesday. “So, stop placing blame [ on us when fires occur] but treat us as the lungs of the world when nothing [no fire] occurs [here].”

Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also Singapore’s coordinating national security minister, recently expressed his commitment to work with Indonesia to prevent haze in the future, while Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said during the recent ASEAN Summit that each member should work hand in hand to find solutions to the haze issue and other environmental problems.

During a national tree-planting event at the Sultam Adam Forest Park in South Kalimantan on Thursday morning, Jokowi renewed the government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 29 percent by 2030, as laid out its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), an outline of the post-2020 climate actions a country intends to take to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gasses.

A number of countries have submitted their INDCs, which are expected to shape negotiations at COP21.

“We also urge developed industrial countries and developing countries to share a similar commitment [to reducing carbon emissions],” Jokowi said.

Meanwhile, the government, through the Finance Ministry, plans to establish a management body (BLU) tasked to manage the country’s climate change funding in a bid to woo donors during COP21.

Climate Change Mitigation Board chairman Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said on Thursday that the government was designing the mechanism of the BLU.

“Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar is having intensive discussions with Coordinating Economic Minister Sofyan Djalil and Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro,” he said. “It looks like we can achieve something ahead of Paris and announce the principles that we want to adopt for our climate change finance mechanism.”


President Jokowi to deliver Indonesia`s vision at cop21
Panca Hari Prabowo Antara 27 Nov 15;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will deliver Indonesias vision during the negotiation process at the Climate Change Summit in Paris next week.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi informed reporters at the Presidential Palace on Friday that President Jokowi along with 147 other leaders will deliver Indonesias vision and stance on various issues relating to climate change.

"During the leaders meeting, the president will deliver his statement for approximately three to five minutes. The statement will highlight several subjects, the first of which being to lend political support to ensure the success of these negotiations," stated Retno.

Minister Marsudi said Indonesia also explained the strategic position of Indonesia, considered as one of the countries with the largest forest area, but also susceptible to climate change due to its geographic position.

"With 17 thousand islands of which most are small, more than 70 percent of Indonesia comprises water, sea, and much more. It makes us highly vulnerable, and we, as a developing country, still need sufficient room to bring about economic development," noted Marsudi.

Minister Marsudi remarked that Indonesia had earlier conveyed its commitment on emission reduction.

Meanwhile, State Secretary Pratikno revealed that besides attending the climate change meeting, President Jokowi will also hold bilateral meetings with the leaders of other countries.

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