4 individuals, organisations awarded Singapore's highest environmental accolade

Liyana Othman Channel NewsAsia 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: On Wednesday (Oct 7), four individuals and organisations received the President's Award for the Environment, given to those who have made significant contributions towards environmental and water sustainability.

One of them is Mrs Kirtida Mekani. She has been an advocate for the environment for the past two decades, serving as the founding executive director of the Singapore Environment Council, and contributing to environmental sustainability at the United World College of South East Asia, through the Mekani Sustainability Fund.

But her proudest achievement to date is the Plant-A-Tree programme, an initiative under NParks' charity, the Garden City Fund. Around 17,000 trees of 200 different species have been planted since its inception in 2007.

"Why trees?" said Mrs Mekani. "Trees are very important to me. Trees give you a lot of lessons in life. They don't discriminate. And by planting trees, you're making an impact, you're supporting everyone. These trees you plan today, day in and day out, they're appreciating. They're giving you oxygen, they're locking carbon dioxide, they're enhancing our environment."

East View Primary School is another winner. Recycling is big in the school. For example, it has green walls that are self-irrigated by rainwater collected from the roof. The water that drips down is then used for various science experiments. All this to develop students to become caring global citizens.

"When you care for your global home, you'll care for your immediate home and your friends as well," said East View Primary School's principal Yao-Lee Seow Foong. "And with our evinronmental science movement that we have adopted, we have taught our children to really care for each other, and also to care for the plants that they look after."

Other environmental champions include Mr Kwek Leng Joo, deputy chairman of City Development Limited and semiconductor firm Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company.

Already in its 10th year, the award aims to inspire more people to play a part in tackling Singapore's environmental challenges.

Said Mrs Mekani: "We all have to chip in, we all have to come together and make a difference.What we are doing, somebody someday is going to reflect and say, 'hey, they did a good job. They've left a beautiful Singapore for us'."

- CNA/hs


CDL's Kwek Leng Joo among winners of President's Award for the Environment
Lynette Khoo Business Times 7 Oct 15;

CITY Developments Limited (CDL) deputy chairman Kwek Leng Joo is among four winners to be conferred the President's Award for the Environment (PAE) 2015, Singapore's highest environmental accolade.

Organised by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, this annual award recognises individuals, educational institutions and organisations for their outstanding contributions towards environmental and water resource sustainability in Singapore.

This year marks the award's 10th anniversary since 2006 and the first time where there are four winners instead of three.

The other winners are Kirtida Mekani, a member of a registered charity Garden City Fund (GCF); East View Primary School; and Systems on Silicon Manufacturing Company.

They received the award from President Tony Tan Keng Yam at a ceremony held at the Istana on Wednesday.

Calling Mr Kwek "a visionary and strong advocate for the environment", CDL said that Mr Kwek has championed sustainable practices to be adopted by businesses and spearheaded CDL's sustainability strategy since 1995.

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Father and son jailed for illegally importing sugar gliders, spotted doves

The duo tried to import two spotted doves and three sugar gliders into Singapore on Aug 25, but were stopped by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority at Tuas Checkpoint.
Channel NewsAsia 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: A father-and-son pair was sentenced to three and two months’ jail respectively for smuggling animals into Singapore on Wednesday (Oct 7).

Toh Ng Siow, 44, and his son Toh Han Rong, 20, also received the same sentence for the charge of animal cruelty as the illegally-imported animals were subjected to unnecessary suffering or pain. Both sentences will run concurrently.

The two Singaporeans had attempted to import two spotted doves and three sugar gliders into Singapore on Aug 25. However, their efforts were in vain after the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) detected the animals in a Singapore-registered car at Tuas Checkpoint.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) was notified and according to investigations, it was revealed that the animals - sourced from Johor, Malaysia - were imported into Singapore without the relevant import licences.

The smuggled animals were also transported in a manner that subjected them to unnecessary suffering or pain, AVA said. Food and water were not provided to the animals during the transportation.

Said AVA in a press release: “The spotted doves were kept in compressed bird cages that were hidden precariously outside the vehicle (in the gap between the rear bumper and the car boot). Placed in close proximity to the road, the journey would have been hot, noisy and bumpy for the spotted doves. Such conditions of travel would have caused significant stress to the spotted doves.”

The sugar gliders were concealed in a small black pouch, and placed behind the glove compartment that was enclosed, small and covered, reducing ventilation for the sugar gliders. The smuggled animals were seized and sent to the Singapore Zoo and the Jurong Bird Park.

The elder Toh will start his three-month jail term on Wednesday, while Han Rong’s jail term starts on Dec 14. He is currently out on S$8,000 bail and his passport has been impounded.

AVA also reiterated to members of the public that under the Animals and Birds Act, it is an offence to import or tranship any animal or bird without written authorisation. Those found committing this offence are liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$10,000 or to imprisonment for a term of up to 12 months, or both.

- CNA/xk

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SGX-listed firms expected to publish sustainability report from FY2017

This will help meet growing demand from investors for more information on sustainable aspects of businesses, says Singapore Exchange.
Nicole Tan Channel NewsAsia 7 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: Companies listed on Singapore Exchange (SGX) will be expected to publish sustainability reports on a comply-or-explain basis starting from Financial Year 2017. SGX said this will help meet growing demand from investors for more information on sustainable aspects of businesses.

Ahead of the implementation, SGX has been gathering feedback from investors and companies on how to best execute the new requirements.

Singapore's first naturally-cooled mall, Star Vista, is among a rising number of green buildings in the city-state. Amid a growing desire for sustainable business practices, SGX is challenging firms to articulate and disclose what they have done in this area.

SGX special advisor Yeo Lian Sim, said: “As an exchange, we do not tell companies how they run their businesses, but we do tell companies that they should produce reports and make disclosures in a timely manner to investors who have invested in their equity.

“The reporting is of what the company already does. So we have seen for instance from our focus groups, that companies - large and small - already manage their risks, and they try and realise opportunities. So, what they have not yet done is to articulate these risks in terms of environmental and social and governance metrics."

In 2011, SGX released a set of guidelines for sustainability reporting for listed firms. Currently, the move is voluntary - but already, 160 out of 537 of mainboard-listed companies published these reports in 2013.

Ms Yeo added: "Investors clearly want it, they are in favour of the increased understanding it gives them. For the company, making these sustainability reports will be some increased effort for sure, but there are also benefits. These better-informed companies have investors that are likely to be more lasting, and that definitely should translate into value for the company."

Industry watchers have said it is a step in the right direction in encouraging sustainable business practices.

EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services partner K Sadashiv, said: "Those who are already doing, or taking steps that are of a sustainable nature that have not been reporting, will begin to showcase what exactly they are doing to make it clearer.

“And those who have not embarked on doing anything at all, would because of this start thinking of doing something. So, you will find a mixed bag of companies, those who have already done something will start talking about it. Those who have not yet done anything, will start doing it, which will lead to reporting. Unless they have carried out some activities, they will have nothing to report on."

Separately, the Association of Banks in Singapore is set to announce new guidelines on responsible financing later this week.

- CNA/xk

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New app scans barcode of product to reveal supply source

A new app that allows consumers to authenticate and trace a product's source was launched, announced GS1 Singapore on Wednesday (Oct 7).
Calvin Hui Channel NewsAsia 7 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: A new app that allows consumers to authenticate and trace a product's supply source will be developed, announced GS1 Singapore on Wednesday (Oct 7).

With this app, consumers scan the barcode of a product to access detailed information and verify its supply source and authenticity.

The app, called Authenticateit, was launched by GS1 Singapore in collaboration with AuthenticateIT (AIT), an Australian tech firm, at the 2015 GSI Asia Pacific Forum.

It is available for free download on the Apple and Google Play app store.

CEO of GS1 Singapore Mr Liew Wai Leong said: "This solution will benefit brand owners and consumers alike - consumers will be assured of the authenticity and supply traceability of the product, and brand owners can ride on this faith to build consumer trust and further boost their brand image."

GS1 standards give a common language to identify, capture and share supply chain data. This supply chain standards system serves close to two million companies across 150 countries globally.

The forum highlighted the growing importance of GS1 standards to help businesses and organisations increase operational efficiencies and visibility of supply chains, especially in healthcare, retail, e-commerce and logistics.

Speaking at the event, guest-of-honour Minister of State for Manpower Mr Teo Ser Luck said that GS1 Singapore works with organisations and public agencies such as SPRING Singapore and the Infocomm Development Authority to encourage the adoption of such standards.

He added: "These standards are very critical for the whole flow and facilitation of trade. There are currently close to 2000 members, companies across multiple sectors using the GS1 standards."

GS1 Singapore is a member organization of GS1 Global and one of the Centres of Excellence under the Singapore Manufacturing Federation.

- CNA/wl

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Mail sent to Pulau Ubin by drone in world-first SingPost trial

The 2-kilometer test flight from Lorong Halus to the island off Singapore's north-eastern coast took 5 minutes, and carried a payload of a letter as well as T-shirt in a packet, SingPost said.

Channel NewsAsia 8 Oct 15;


SINGAPORE: Mail delivered in flight, with not a postman in sight? The first step toward making this a daily reality was taken after Singapore Post successfully trialled a mail run from mainland Singapore to Pulau Ubin - the first time in the world a postal service has successfully used an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for point-to-point recipient-authenticated mail delivery.

The last-mile mail and packet drone delivery from Lorong Halus to Pulau Ubin trial was successfully completed as part of a joint development between SingPost and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), the postal service provider announced on Oct 8 (Thursday).

The 2-kilometer test flight took 5 minutes, and carried a payload of a letter as well as T-shirt in a packet, SingPost said.

The drone was built upon the Pixhawk Steadidrone platform by IDA Labs, and is tailored for use in a challenging environment like Singapore, SingPost said in a press release. The drone is equipped with enhanced safety features, and comes with a prototype app designed with security and verification features to ensure mail reaches its intended recipient.

It has the capacity to carry a payload of up to half a kilogramme, fly at a height of up to 45 metres and travel for 2.3km. The focus of the flight was to test the drone technology and safety boundaries.

"SingPost’s exploration of the drone technology is a move to provide enhanced end-to-end solutions to facilitate urban logistics as well as tap on the burgeoning eCommerce growth in Asia Pacific," the postal operator added.

"LITERALLY AIMING FOR THE SKY"

Added IDA Managing Director Jacqueline Poh: “The successful conclusion of this trial shows how SingPost is thinking out of the box and its willingness to expand its traditional mail delivery model in innovative ways.

"Although it will be a while before it is viable for drone mail delivery to take off in Singapore, taking into consideration commercial and safety factors; this first step by SingPost and IDA demonstrates what Singapore is trying out with our Smart Nation vision – to have the various parts of our ecosystem collaborate, experiment with new ways of doing things, and in the process, literally aim for the sky with new technology."

Said Dr Bernard Leong, Head of Digital Services at SingPost: “There is immense potential in UAV technology for last-mile mail and ecommerce delivery. As SingPost transforms into an eCommerce logistics enabler, we will continue to collaborate with industry leaders and chart new frontiers.

"Not only do we want to enable or accelerate eCommerce, we hope to contribute towards building Singapore into a Smart Nation, where technology improves the quality of lives. We seek continuous exploration to break new ground, innovate and harness technology to bring end-to-end solutions that matter to our customers.”

The multi-agency Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Committee facilitated this trial. Said its Chairman, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Pang Kin Keong: “The UAS Committee has been encouraging and discussing with public and private sector organisations on innovative uses of UAS, and facilitating such trials. The technology opens up numerous exciting possibilities which could help us enhance operational productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.”

SingPost said the trial drone flight was conducted with permissions and cooperation from IDA, the Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Republic of Singapore Air Force as well as the Singapore Police Force.

- CNA/es

Mail sent to Pulau Ubin by drone in world-first SingPost trial
Today Online 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — Drones as postmen? For the first time globally, a drone has been used successfully to deliver mail.

The trial by SingPost and the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) saw a letter and a t-shirt in a package delivered from Lorong Halus to Pulau Ubin by a drone. The 2km trip took about 5 minutes.

This makes as the first time a postal service has used an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for point-to-point recipient-authenticated mail delivery, SingPost said in a news release today (Oct 8).

The drone used was built upon the IDA Labs’s Pixhawk Steadidrone platform to meet the new conceptual delivery platform from SingPost. On top of some safety features, it comes with a prototype app designed with security and verification features that ensures the mail reaches its intended recipient.

While the focus of the successful flight was to test the drone technology and safety boundaries, the drone was built with the capacity to carry a payload of up to half a kilogramme, fly at a height of up to 45 metres and travel a distance of 2.3 kilometres

“SingPost’s exploration of the drone technology is a move to provide enhanced end-to-end solutions to facilitate urban logistics as well as tap on the burgeoning eCommerce growth in Asia Pacific,” said the postal operator, adding that the region’s electronic commerce is expected to reach US$175 billion (S$247 billion) by 2016..

“The successful conclusion of this trial shows how SingPost is thinking out of the box and its willingness to expand its traditional mail delivery model in innovative ways,” said Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director at IDA.

“Although it will be a while before it is viable for drone mail delivery to take off in Singapore, taking into consideration commercial and safety factors, this first step by SingPost and IDA demonstrates what Singapore is trying out with our Smart Nation vision.”

Said Group Chief Executive Officer of SingPost, Dr Wolfgang Baier: “We are seeing success in our digital transformation which did not happen overnight. Our success is made possible through collaborations with industry experts and our business partners. Now, we want to make innovation more accessible and bring more tangible benefits to our customers and consumers.”

The multi-agency Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Committee, which had facilitated the trial, has been discussing with public and private sector organisations on innovative uses of UAS.

“The technology opens up numerous exciting possibilities which could help us enhance operational productivity, efficiency and effectiveness. All this, of course, needs to be carried in a safe manner, both for the public as well as aviation,” said Mr Pang Kin Keong, the committee’s chairman and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport.



Got mail to deliver? These are the drones you’re looking for
TOH EE MING Today Online 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — Drones serving as postmen could become a reality here, if a successful trial by SingPost and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is any indication.

The trial on Sept 25 saw a letter and a T-shirt in a packet delivered from Lorong Halus to Pulau Ubin by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The 2km trip took about five minutes.

SingPost said today (Oct 8) the drone test marked the first time a postal service in the world had successfully used an unmanned aerial vehicle for “point-to-point recipient-authenticated mail delivery”.

While postal services in Switzerland and France have carried out similar trials, they do not have a secure authentication function as yet, said a SingPost spokesman.

To ensure that the package reaches the intended recipient, the drone is equipped with enhanced safety features, and is complemented with a prototype mobile app designed with security and verification features.

For instance, the mail route is programmed and a recipient is assigned in the system. Upon reaching the delivery point, the recipient will have to verify his identity through the mobile app. If the authentication fails or is not sent from the phone to the drone within three minutes, the drone will fly back to its original location.

Built using the Pixhawk Steadidrone platform by IDA Labs, the drone is equipped with a parachute to ensure a soft landing and a GPS system for tracking purposes.

A manual override is also possible if the drone veers off course.

IDA’s managing director Jacqueline Poh said: “The successful conclusion of this trial shows how SingPost is thinking out of the box and its willingness to expand its traditional mail delivery model in innovative ways.”

One benefit of drone delivery is that it can save time in delivering mail.

For instance, a 73-year-old postman serving the Pulau Ubin area currently delivers about 40 letters a day.

To get to the island, he has to wait for the bumboat to fill up with enough passengers before it can depart from Changi Ferry Terminal. On slow days, when there are fewer people going to the island, the wait can take up to half an hour.

The drone can carry a load of up to 0.5kg, fly at a height of up to 45m and travel over a distance of 2.3km.

Dr Bernard Leong, SingPost’s head of digital services, said drone technology offers “immense potential” in meeting the booming growth of e-commerce delivery.

The e-commerce market in the Asia-Pacific is expected to reach US$175 billion (S$247 billion) by next year. For now, SingPost says that it has no concrete plans for the commercialisation of drone deliveries.

When asked if such drone deliveries would replace the postman’s role, a SingPost spokesperson said: “Our postmen will continue to be instrumental in terms of last-mile delivery, while robotics do the heavy-lifting ... As our business transforms, the role of our postmen will also evolve over time.”

The SingPost drone test was conducted with the cooperation of various government agencies, such as the Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, and Republic of Singapore Air Force.


It's a bird… it's a plane… it's the postman
Irene Tham, Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Oct 15;

Your postman could one day be a drone. Last month, Singapore Post completed an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) delivery trial, touted as the world's first successful test by a postal service provider.

The trial, which took place on Sept 25, involved an off-the-shelf drone system customised by engineers from SingPost and the government-backed Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) Labs.

It flew 2km, between Lorong Halus and Pulau Ubin, carrying a letter and T-shirt in a packet.

The drone prototype has safety features designed for dense urban areas. It can carry up to 500g, and fly at a height of up to 45m.

Its delivery route can be controlled by an in-house smartphone app, complete with verification features, to ensure that the mail reaches its intended recipient.

"There is immense potential in UAV technology for last-mile mail and e-commerce delivery," said Dr Bernard Leong, head of digital services at SingPost. For instance, delivery times can be shortened as the flight paths can be more direct than road delivery routes, he said.

Since US e-commerce giant Amazon's announcement last year of a potential drone-based delivery service, consumers have been excited about this possibility. But obstacles remain. SingPost, for instance, could not project when drone delivery would become the norm. Common challenges include safety concerns, weight limits, distance limits and weather restrictions.

"Although it will be a while before it is viable for drone mail delivery to take off in Singapore... this first step by SingPost and IDA demonstrates what Singapore is trying out with our smart nation vision," said IDA managing director Jacqueline Poh.

She said the vision is to have various parts of Singapore's ecosystem collaborating and experimenting with new ways of doing things.

SingPost received the green light from the Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Singapore Police Force for its first drone trial.

Last month, the Finnish postal service also trialled the use of drones to deliver packages although its test drone landed away from the designated landing zone.

Republic Polytechnic lecturer Sasidharan Nair, who teaches a course on drone videography, said a drone would be handy for reaching offshore islands such as Sentosa or Pulau Ubin.

"Other instances where drones can come in handy include medical emergencies, search and rescue missions and disaster management," he said.

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Malaysia: Shark Protection in Sabah is Necessary, says Sabah Shark Protection Association (SSPA)

WWF 6 Oct 15;

6 Oct, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek in a recent article in The Rakyat Post mentioned that the ban on shark hunting in Sabah is deemed unnecessary. Datuk Seri Shabery mentioned that sharks, unlike tuna, are accidentally caught by fishermen in Malaysian waters, indicating that shark hunting and the finning industry did not exist in Malaysia.

Malaysia is ranked as the world’s ninth-largest shark producer and third-largest importer in volume terms, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nation’s report entitled State of the global market for shark products. From 2000 to 2011, Malaysia recorded average annual shark fin imports of 1 172 tonnes, worth USD3.2 million (approximately RM14 million) and average annual shark fin exports 238 tonnes, worth USD902 000 (approximately RM3.9 million).

The report clearly indicates that Malaysia is a major shark producer with a large consumer market for shark fins, posting large import volumes of low-valued shark fins. The demand for shark fin and meat leads to the high volumes of sharks being caught in the country.

Sabah Shark Protection Association (SSPA) urgently calls for Malaysia to take serious action to manage its shark and ray population by implementing its international and local commitment.

There are currently no catch quotas for catching sharks and rays in Malaysian waters, and government statistics show a declining trend in annual catches since a high in 2003, indicating shark populations may be in decline. Sharks are one of many groups of fishes targeted by multi-species fisheries, which include the use of trawling and gill nets, and require specific management measures if they are to be sustainable. The fins of sharks caught in Malaysia waters are typically removed at the landing site, demonstrating that the sale of the fins is part of the income of fishers who catch them.

It is commendable that Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DoFM) has revised its National Plan of Action (NPOA) in 2014, which recognised the importance of managing our shark population, and has put in place measures to strengthen protection of shark in Malaysia.

The current NPOA, under Action 5 IV, calls for amendment of existing regulation or impose conditions on fishing licence to combat the issue of absence in finning regulations under the current legal framework. Putting this action in place will provide stronger protection for sharks in Malaysia, and particularly in Sabah. Requiring sharks to be brought to shore with their fins attached will not necessarily reduce the amount of sharks killed, but it will ensure that the whole sharks are landed, making it far more straightforward for authorities to monitor shark catches to a species level.

Sharks are particularly vulnerable to over-exploitation because they are slow-growing, mature at a late age, and have relatively low productivity. Therefore, their populations are slow to recover once overfished. This is a major concern as many species of sharks are top predators and play an important role in balancing the marine ecosystems.

Tracking back into the history of Malaysia’s commitment in the conservation of the country’s biodiversity, besides being a signatory to the CITES agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1993, our Prime Minister, Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, declared the country’s commitment to protect biodiversity in Malaysia as part of the Coral Triangle region during the Leaders Summit of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) in May 2009.

However, this commitment falls far short when it comes to sharks.

Malaysia, under the International Trade in Endangered Species Act 2008, protects sharks for trade, but it does not address the issue of shark finning and hunting.

Overfishing, destructive fishing methods (like fish bombing), pollution and unsustainable coastal development have led to significant declines in coral reefs, and negatively impacted the species reliant on these habitats, which are integral to the survival and health of the marine ecosystem.

Datuk Seri Shabery also mentioned that his ministry was open to discuss the shark finning ban with the Sabah Government at any time – SSPA urges that the need is not only on discussing the proposal to set up a shark protection area, but the urgency of strengthening shark protection under relevant conservation and fisheries laws in Malaysia.

The shark protected area refers to the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPA); areas designated and effectively managed to protect marine ecosystems, processes habitats and species, which can contribute to the restoration and replenishment of resources for social, economic and cultural enrichment.

Effective implementation of MPA networks requires commitment from the government, multilateral agencies, civil society, communities and businesses.

Masidi proposes ban on shark hunting
New Straits Times 8 Oct 15;

KOTA KINABALU: Action needs to be taken to protect the local shark population which is dwindling, especially in Sabah.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said there were certain species of sharks that needed to be protected and these should be included in existing law such as the Fisheries Act.

“Actually they don’t even have to amend the act but have a discussion to include certain categories of sharks that should be fully protected.

“In my opinion, it doesn’t have to go to the parliament because this is just a question of gazetting…There is a Fisheries Act which is enforceable in Sabah but the act doesn’t provide this (ban on shark hunting).”

He told reporters this after launching the Borneo Beads Carnival at the Sabah Museum today.

Masidi was commenting on Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek’s recent statement that there was no need to ban shark fishing as unlike tuna fishing, there was no shark hunting industry in the country.

“The fact that there is no shark fishing industry will be a good reason for us to ban it because that means there’s minimal economic repercussions to those involved in the trade,” he added.

Masidi said if shark hunting was not controlled, it would also affect the tourism industry as there were many tourists and divers who visited Sabah to see sharks in the wild.

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Indonesia seizes shark fins destined for Hong Kong

The haul, worth one billion rupiah, came from around 3,000 oceanic whitetip sharks which were caught in the waters around Java island.
Channel NewsAsia 7 Oct 15;

JAKARTA: Indonesian authorities have seized about 3,000 shark fins that were about to be flown to Hong Kong, an official said Wednesday (Oct 7), a rare success in the battle against the illegal trade.

The fins from the oceanic whitetip shark, a species protected in Indonesia and banned from export, were seized last week at the international airport that serves the capital Jakarta, government official Rusnanto, who goes by one name, told AFP.

"The fins came from around 3,000 oceanic whitetip sharks which were caught in the waters around Java island," said the official who works for an agency that deals with fish, referring to Indonesia's main island.

He said the haul was worth one billion rupiah (US$72,000) in Indonesia but would fetch several times that amount in Hong Kong, where shark fins are considered a delicacy.

Officials found the fins in boxes that were due to be exported, he said. The export company was being investigated, he added, without giving the name. Hong Kong is one of the world's biggest markets for shark fin, which is often served as a soup at expensive Chinese banquets.

More than 70 million sharks are killed every year, according to environmental group WWF. Huge quantities are exported annually to Hong Kong, and most of those fins are then sent on to mainland China.

Conservationists have long been raising the alarm about shark-fishing in Indonesia, and point to signs that populations have been declining across the whole archipelago, which consists of more than 17,000 islands. Efforts to crack down on the illegal trade have been hampered by weak law enforcement and a failure to offer poor fishermen alternative ways of earning a living.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the oceanic whitetip shark as "vulnerable" and says catches, particularly in international waters, are inadequately monitored.

- AFP/yt

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Indonesia: Govt pushes joint ASEAN efforts on illegal fishing

Tama Salim and Fedina S. Sundaryani, The Jakarta Post 7 Oct 15;

Almost a year after placing a ban on renewals of licenses for large, foreign-built fishing vessels, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is devising a post-moratorium national plan of action (NPOA) that will focus on strengthening Indonesia’s maritime policies in the context of regional integration.

The NPOA will focus on policies promoting sovereignty, sustainability and prosperity, as well as optimizing the ability to detect, respond and punish perpetrators of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

In order to ensure the success of its policies, the government is pushing for the recognition of IUU fishing as a transnational crime.

According to Mas Achmad Santosa, the head of the ministry’s illegal fishing prevention task force, the government is looking to enable the handling of IUU fishing and fisheries-related practices across national borders.

Illegal poaching, Ahmad said, was almost always accompanied by related crimes such as human trafficking, modern slavery or the falsification of documents.

“A network of illegal poachers at sea is usually controlled by identifiable entities or individuals. In Indonesia’s case, the strings are being pulled [by parties] in Thailand and China — and it starts out as a ploy with other countries to blur the legality of transfer ownership,” Achmad told The Jakarta Post over the weekend.

Since November last year, the government has enforced a ban on all foreign-built fishing vessels over 30 gross tons (GT) under the suspicion that the operation of these ships might be a ruse for poaching.

A total 1,132 ships owned by 187 fisheries firms underwent an analysis and evaluation (Anev) audit by the illegal fishing prevention task force, in which it was revealed that 907 ships — roughly 80 percent — had committed operational and administrative infractions.

As a result, the ministry revoked 15 business licenses (SIUP) and 279 operational licenses (SIPI/SIKPI), in addition to pressing criminal charges against 18 large fisheries firms.

Achmad claimed that IUU fishing practices in Indonesia took advantage of lax border control and discrepancy in maritime policies among neighboring countries, raising a pressing need for governments to synchronize their maritime law enforcement policies.

As a result of previous discussions, he continued, the government had started working on a multilateral framework involving Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and Australia to combat poaching in the Arafura Sea.

“We have to strengthen cooperation among these countries so that we have a common standard for legal enforcement,” said the former antigraft activist.

Separately, Ono Surono, a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission IV overseeing agriculture and fisheries and the environment, supported the initiative to have IUU fishing recognized as a transnational crime.

Ono urged countries sharing maritime borders — especially members of ASEAN, Timor Leste, PNG, China and Australia — to establish an institution for collectively handling IUU fishing practices, thus overcoming nations’ limited capability to monitor their territorial waters.

Last Friday, National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti said that the police force had joined efforts to establish illegal fishing as a transnational crime.

During the 10th ASEAN Minister Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia two weeks ago, Badrodin explained, Indonesia had highlighted the issue.

“We stressed that illegal fishing was a transnational crime, as it is a violation related to national borders and [occurs] across countries,” he said at the National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

ASEAN’s eight priority areas of transnational crime comprise counterterrorism, illicit drug-trafficking, trafficking in persons, money laundering, sea piracy, arms smuggling, international economic crime and cybercrime.

“Our focus is not on decreasing [illegal fishing] but on law enforcement. In law enforcement, for example, if a group of people suspected of a crime was caught here but several of them ran away to another country, or if someone was convicted of a crime here but fled the country, then how would we catch them?” the police chief asked.


Indonesia, Australia agree on fisheries cooperation
Tama Salim, The Jakarta Post 8 Oct 15;

In line with its plan to synchronize maritime law enforcement policies with its neighbors Indonesia has secured the support of Australia to protect the country from incursions by foreign fishermen who illegally enter the country’s vast territorial waters.

Australia has agreed to strengthen its cooperation with Indonesia on combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, and to engage at the operational level and promote sustainable fisheries governance.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti met with Australia’s Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce on Wednesday to sign a joint communiqué on the cooperation to combat IUU fishing.

“We want to strengthen this cooperation for collective gain — Australia will also sign the declaration to combat illegal fishing in Asia and the Pacific, especially on Indonesia’s borders with Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea and Fiji,” Susi told reporters during a press conference at her office on Wednesday.

Susi welcomed the improved cooperation with Australia in the maritime sector, acknowledging that without its southern neighbors, Indonesia would have a hard time monitoring the vast waters in the eastern part of the
archipelago.

“Our hope is that we will be able to enhance our cooperation to ensure that no one will poach fish on our borders with Australia, PNG and Timor Leste,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Minister Joyce praised Susi’s work in the sector and said that he looked forward to collaborating more in a global setting to better manage the fisheries sector.

“We are very happy with the work that Australians are doing with the Indonesians in making sure that we find out who is sneaking into other people’s places and stealing their fish,” Joyce told reporters on Wednesday.

“All I can say is it’s lucky that we caught them before Ibu Susi bombed them or burned them,” he added.

Joyce also stressed the importance of doing further work together in the fisheries sector so that all fishermen in the region got a fair deal.

“Otherwise it’s just going to get fished out and other people are going to steal a product that sustains their way of life, sustains their economic income — and that is just not fair,” he added.

As part of the proposed cooperation, Indonesia has invited Australia to expand coordinated patrols near the maritime borders of Timor Leste and PNG, as well as providing all necessary support and assistance in combatting IUU fishing.

Indonesia also asked Australia’s border officials to provide intelligence to assist in its crackdown on poaching.

In return, Australia will receive Indonesia’s support — among others — in its recently updated Sedentary Organisms Proclamation, in which Australia will be able to lay claim to areas “proximate to Indonesia and [which] sits beneath waters” within Indonesia’s fisheries jurisdiction under current arrangements.

The cooperation takes into account the Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) to promote responsible fishing practices, the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI-CFF) and the declaration on strategic action programs for the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action (ATSEA), as well as other regional frameworks such as the Australia-Indonesia Fisheries Surveillance Forum (AISF).

Mas Achmad Santosa, the head of the IUU fishing prevention task force, said the government was due to meet with representatives of Timor Leste, PNG and Fiji in the coming months.

“We have to strengthen cooperation among these countries so that we have a common standard for legal enforcement,” he said.

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Indonesia: Dams closed; people use seawater due to dry season

Ganug Nugroho Adi, The Jakarta Post 7 Oct 15;

The prolonged dry season has forced authorities to close the Gajah Mungkur and Colo dams in Central Java and hundreds of families to use seawater in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) for their daily needs.

Head of the water resources and water services division of tap water company Perum Jasa Tirta’s (PJT) I Bengawan Solo River region, Winarno Susiladi, said the current elevation of Gajah Mungkur, one of the biggest dams in the country, was 129.39 centimeters and its water level had yet to increase because the stream in upper areas was not yet filled with water due to the prolonged dry season.

With such a volume, the turbine of Gajah Mungkur’s hydropower plant could not operate since the minimum water debit required for the turbine to work is 19 cubic meters per second.

“The water volume indeed is not sufficient to move the turbine, but we have no problem with electricity as the electricity network in Wonogiri is also connected to other regions,” Winarno said on Tuesday.

In normal conditions the electricity produced can reach up to three megawatts per second, he said.

He added that the decrease in the volume of the dams had also caused a decrease in the clean water supply from Wonogiri tap water company (PDAM) Giri Tirta Sari.

To deal with the problem, said Winarno, the company dammed up the Bengawan Solo River in Sanggrahan, Giripurwo.

“We apologize if the water supply from the company is disrupted. We are trying to increase the debit by damming up river,” Giri Tirta Sari’s president director Sumarjo said.

Doing so, according to Sumarjo, could increase the water debit. He said the measure had been taken for years by his company, especially during dry seasons when the water debit decreased.

PDAM Giri Tirta Sari currently services some 8,000 customers.

However, the Bengawan Solo River Management Agency (BBSBS) said that it had closed the water gates of the Gajah Mungkur and Colo dams, located in Wonogiri and Sukoharjo respectively, for the whole month for maintenance.

Closures were also effective on the dams’ irrigation canals, stopping water from flowing to some 23,000 hectares of rice fields.

“The closure will not influence the plants in the fields as most of the rice is about to be harvested. We have disseminated information to farmers,” the agency’s maintenance division head Danang Baskoro said.

Danang said the closures were an annual occurrence to maintain and repair the dams as well as their irrigation canals and water gates.

Separately, Wardiyono, a farmer in Sukoharjo, said the closure of Colo Dam would influence some 5 hectares of rice fields in the regency. He said not all rice plants in the region were ready for harvest.

“But, what else can we do? It’s time to close the dam. I can only surrender,” said the 54-year-old farmer.

Meanwhile, in NTB, some 500 families in Doro O’O subdistrict, Langgudu district, Bima regency, were reportedly forced to use seawater for their needs.

“It’s because no water is left that people were forced to drink from the sea,” NTB provincial councilor Misfalah said in Mataram on Tuesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

Misfalah said that water scarcity had begun since drought had hit the region. Springs and people’s wells have also dried up.

“If they want to get water they have to walk for 10 kilometers, not to mention the location of the water sources on the hill and seawater entering water sources and wells,” Misfalah said.

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Indonesia: Jakarta sea wall an environmental disaster: Study

Corry Elyda, The Jakarta Post 7 Oct 15;

A study by the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry has revealed that the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project, known as the Giant Sea Wall (GSW) or the Great Garuda, would have a massive environmental and social impact on the city, including the disappearance of islands and damage to the maritime ecosystem.

Taslim Arifin, a researcher at the Research and Development Center for Marine and Coastal Resources at the ministry, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that his team had conducted an ecological and physical oceanography survey last year to see how the construction of the GSW would affect the environment around Jakarta Bay. “The results showed that the wall would affect the sea currents outside the wall, so it could potentially erode the islands in the western part of the bay, including Onrust Island,” he said, adding that the island could eventually disappear.

Onrust, like other islands such as Kelor and Cipir, is a historical site and has been declared an archeological park.

Taslim said that apart from eroding the island, the GSW would also destroy natural habitats in the waters north of Jakarta, including coral reefs.

“More than 50 percent of our coral reef has been destroyed. However, it still has potential as Jakarta Bay is also a spawning area for various fish species,” he said.

He added that although Jakarta Bay was heavily polluted, fish could still be found. “Their conditionswould be greatly affected,” he said.

The NCICD, previously the Jakarta Coastal Defense Strategy (JCDS), was introduced by Dutch consulting firms to then governor Fauzi Bowo. It is a giant project that aims to mitigate tidal flooding amid a worsening problem of land subsidence.

According to the NCICD’s executive summary published in June on ncicd.com, the first phase of the project would be the construction of 15,614 meters of dike segments in Jakarta and West Java.

The second phase would be the construction of the outer sea wall in the western part of Jakarta Bay, scheduled for 2018 and targeted to be completed in 2025. The last phase of the project would be the construction of the outer sea wall in the eastern part of the bay in 2025.

Taslim said that the water inside the GSW would also become a problem. “As the water is trapped, the pollutants deposited by the 13 rivers in Jakarta would accumulate in one place,” he said.

He said the accumulation would cause eutrophication that would be fatal for the biota in the water as the oxygen concentration fell.

“The water inside the seawall would become a big pond of pollution. It would become worse if the city administration did not start to tackle the pollution in the rivers,” he said.

According to Taslim, the project would also require the city administration to relocate 24,000 fishermen who live along the coast.

In the executive summary, the NCICD cites environmental impacts like the loss of coastal habitats and the transition to fresh water and poor water quality in the large reservoir after closing the sea wall.

It says the impact has been evaluated in a strategic environmental assessment report. “In brief, the outcome is that the NCICD project does have an environmental impact [as with any large project], but that this is not at an unacceptable level.”

Issues to be taken into consideration include the fact that “the quality of the habitat in Jakarta Bay is already so poor [due to pollution] that losses would be limited.”

The NCICD says it does not formally include the equally controversial development of 17 islands by the city administration, although it proposes “a synergy” with the reclamation project.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has been at odds with Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama over the planned reclamation and creation of the 17 islands.


Giant Sea Wall urgent to save sinking Jakarta: Consultant
Corry Elyda, The Jakarta Post 8 Oct 15;

A water management specialist from Dutch research institute Deltares has confirmed that the National Capital Integrated Coastal Development (NCICD) project, known as the Giant Sea Wall (GSW), will have an environmental impact, but says that land subsidence in Jakarta is a far greater threat and the wall is one of the solutions.

Jan Jaap Brinkman said on Wednesday that the project might affect the Thousand Islands as well as erosion patterns, coral reefs and biota.

However, Brinkman argued that the project was an urgent measure to protect four to five million people threatened by land subsidence that would see their current homes 4 to 9 meters below sea level.

“Everybody keeps forgetting and ignoring the land subsidence, this is the driving force,” he said.

Jakarta is sinking an average of 5 to 20 centimeters per year, with an average of about 7.5 cm per year.

Brinkman added that if the land subsidence continued like this, by the end of the century Jakarta would have sunk another 5 to 6 meters.

Brinkman said the “cheapest and easiest” solution to land subsidence is to stop groundwater extraction. Millions of households, offices, and industries rely on groundwater as the coverage of tap water is only about 60 percent.

“However, if the sinking does not stop, Jakarta has only two options to protect its people,” he said.

He went on to say that they comprised evacuating millions of people and buildings from northern Jakarta to higher ground or enclosing Jakarta Bay with a “good, very safe dike, good very large pumps and a very large lake to store the water: the giant sea wall”.

Recently, the Research and Development for Marine and Coastal Resources Department at the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry showed that the giant sea wall would have large environmental and social costs, including the disappearance of islands and the damage of biota in the sea. The ministry’s study claimed that it would also destroy the biota in the water inside the wall because of eutrophication process from the pollution of Jakarta’s 13 rivers, and displace thousands of fishermen.

The study was conducted by more than a dozen researchers in 2014 by making a simulation of the GSW. The result was published as a book, Dinamika Teluk Jakarta; Analisis Prediksi Dampak Pembangunan Tanggul Laut Jakarta (The Dynamics of Jakarta Bay; Prediction Analysis of the effects of the Giant Sea Wall Construction), by IPB Press.

Separately, the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister’s assistant deputy for water resource infrastructure, Mohammad Zainal Fatah, said that he doubted GSW would cause great environmental damage, saying that it would instead have many positive effects.

“The project is urgent as North Jakarta is sinking,” he said.

Regarding the potential for eutrophication, Zaenal said the wall would not be designed like a big sewage pond.

“We will have a water treatment plant that can provide a raw water supply,” he said.

He added that the central government and the city administration were now speeding up construction plans of the liquid waste treatment system.

“We previously aimed to complete the project by 2050 but we are trying to finish it by 2022,” he said.

Separately, Jakarta Development Planning Board (Bappeda) Tuty Kusumawati said that the city administration and other entities would try to minimize the impact of the project on the fisherfolk.

“We will try to alter their profession from fisherfolk to fish farmers,” she said.

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Malaysia mulls over plan to buy electricity from Laos

The Star 8 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: Laos, Thailand and Malaysia may proceed with a planned cross-border power trade minus Singapore, which had some concerns over the initiative, said Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.

The Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister said his officers were exploring the possibility for the pilot project, known as the Laos PDR, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore (LTMS) Power Integration Project (PIP), to be carried out in two phases.

“Under Phase One, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia can embark on this project with Malaysia buying the proposed 100MW from Laos through Thailand,” said Ongkili during the opening of the 33rd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting (Amem) at Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The LTMS-PIP is part of the Asean Power Grid initiative to ensure energy security and greater utilisation of shared resources among member states.

The LTMS-PIP plan was initiated during the last Amem meeting in Vientiane, Laos, in 2014.

Officials from LTMS countries had met 11 times since then and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) among the partners was supposed to be signed during this week’s meeting.

“Unfortunately, I have been made to understand that due to certain reservations, this MoU will not be signed,” he said.

Ongkili said Singapore practised transparent and competitive bidding for its supply of power.

He said they were not prepared at this moment to impose and take a load of 100MW.

“Singapore needs more time to decide whether to make a direct award or direct absorption by-passing the normal competitive bidding process,” he said.

Ongkili is confident that these issues can be ironed out in the next six months while the three other countries can absorb the 100MW in the meantime.

He pointed out that the electricity utilities in the three countries were vertically integrated and only a Power Purchasing Agreement ­needed to be signed.

Ongkili said strengthening energy co-operation would bring the region closer to its goal of achieving greater energy security and realising Asean connectivity.


Laos, Thai, Msia & Singapore power deal delayed
VEENA BABULAL New Straits Times 7 Oct 15;

KUALA LUMPUR: The signing of the Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore (LTMS) Power Integration Project deal has been delayed for another six months.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the pioneer project's memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was due to be signed during the 33rd Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting and Associated Meetings which is being held here from Monday to Friday, has been stalled due to reservations by Singapore.

"The challenges are actually not big. It's mainly from Singapore but I am confident the MoU would be signed in six months,” he said.

He said Singapore needed some time to go through the agreement, which involves a direct award or direct absorption which bypasses the normal competitive bidding process.

"For now, Singapore needs more time because they need to go through a transparent and competitive bidding process. This PIP pilot project is carried out in two phases, where under phase one Laos, Thailand and Malaysia can embark on this project with Malaysia buying the proposed 100 megawatts from Laos and Thailand," he said.

"At this point they are not ready to just impose the MoU conditions and take on the power load through the system," he added.

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Progress made in fundraising for poor to fight climate change

Valerie Volcovici PlanetArk 8 Oct 15;

The world's richest countries mobilized $61.8 billion in public and private funds in 2014 to help poor countries combat and adapt to climate change, almost two-thirds of a goal to raise $100 billion a year starting in 2020, according to a report released on Wednesday.

The study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Climate Policy Initiative aimed to provide the first clear snapshot of how far rich countries are from achieving the 2020 target, a key ingredient for a new global climate change deal later this year.

The estimate was based on flows of public-sector climate funds reported to the U.N. climate change secretariat from rich to poor countries through bilateral agreements, multilateral institutions and export credits, and private-sector money.

There has not been a clear system to track climate finance and ensure previous pledges are not double-counted, undermining trust between rich and poor countries in U.N. climate talks.

"This figure and the irreproachable methodology that underpins it is a major step in terms of credibility," said French Finance Minister Michel Sapin.

Ensuring wealthy countries are on the road to meeting their 2020 commitment, first made in 2009, is seen as crucial to achieving a climate agreement in Paris this December.

Many developing nations have accused rich nations of failing to increase their commitments after an initial $10 billion a year pledged for 2010 to 2012.

"The figures cited are well short of what even the most conservative estimates suggest are needed to help us adapt to increasingly severe climate impacts," said Amjad Abdulla of the Maldives, chief U.N. negotiator for island states.

The report estimates public and private climate finance mobilized by rich countries averaged $57 billion in 2013-14. Roughly 71 percent came from public funds, 26 percent from the private sector and 3 percent from export credits.

More than two-thirds of the money was allocated to projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions in developing countries, with just 16 percent devoted to helping them cope with climate change impacts like flooding and droughts.

Developing countries have said grant-based finance for adaptation was a priority.

"There is no guarantee for any developing country that they are going to get any kind of reasonable support to cope with a changing climate," said Tim Gore, head of climate change and food policy for Oxfam International.

Brandon Wu, a senior policy analyst for ActionAid said the OECD estimates counted export credits and the full value of loans to poor countries as climate finance, making the report's estimates "misleading."

"The amounts committed to date fall far short of what's needed, and accounting tricks won't change that," he said.

The report will be discussed at a meeting of finance ministers on Friday in Lima, who are expected to use the findings to lay out a climate finance framework ahead of U.N. climate talks in Paris, which start on Nov. 30.

So far, Germany, France and the Asian Development Bank have announced new financial commitments by 2020. Last month the UK announced a new multi-billion pledge between 2016 and 2021 and China said it would offer $3.1 billion.

(Additional reporting by Michel Rose in Paris and Megan Rowling for the Thomson Reuters Foundation; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and Cynthia Osterman)

Paris climate talks should not put figure on finance, says World Bank vice-president
Fiona Harvey The Guardian 7 Oct 15;

The Paris conference on climate change should not set a target for future financial assistance to developing countries, according to the World Bank’s top official on climate change.

The question of how rich countries should provide money to poor countries to help them cut greenhouse gases and cope with the effects of global warming will be crucial to success at Paris, and the World Bank’s intervention is likely to be controversial in some quarters.

At the last landmark climate conference, in Copenhagen in 2009, rich countries agreed that $100bn a year should flow to the poor world in “climate finance” by 2020, a figure still to be met. Most developing countries regard this as totemic issue, and it is likely to prove the make-or-break condition of the Paris meeting in December, where governments are hoping to forge a new global agreement for the decade beyond 2020.

Rachel Kyte, World Bank vice-president and special envoy for climate change, told the Guardian that she rejected the idea that a Paris agreement should contain a similar pledge.

She said: “I hope there is not a number [on climate finance] for beyond 2020 at Paris. I understand the need of developed countries to ensure that finance is going to those countries but that is not it.”

She accused governments at the Copenhagen meeting of making up a symbolic number in the closing days of the talks, just to try to get a last-minute deal.

“The $100bn was picked out of the air at Copenhagen,” she argued. “If you think about the global economy and the challenge for finance ministers in developed countries, I’m not sure that an abstract number like $100bn is helpful. It is not a meaningful number to a country managing its economy.”

Climate change now affects many aspects of a country’s development and economy, she said, so that it would be difficult in future to separate out “climate finance” from other funds.

The Paris conference is aimed at continuing where Copenhagen left off. In 2009, for the first time, developed and developing country governments jointly agreed targets on cutting or curbing their emissions up to 2020.

But the summit was marred by scenes of chaos and bitter recriminations, and the resulting deal - though still valid - was not enshrined in a formal treaty. As a result, the targets agreed there are not legally binding at an international level, though many are at a country level.

Hopes for Paris are for a treaty or another binding legal instrument that will ensure all the commitments on emissions are more formally treated. In order to gain developing country agreement, rich nations will have to show that they are fulfilling the $100bn pledge, as well as preparing to ramp up their contributions beyond 2020, when any Paris agreement would come into effect.

Kyte said that the new agreement would not need a similar pledge on post-2020 financial assistance, but would be better made with a clear commitment to provide clearly defined climate finance, without setting a specific number on it.

This was not only because a numerical pledge would be meaningless, but because the commitments on emissions (called Intended Nationally Defined Contributions, or INDCs in the UN jargon) are now much clearer than they were at Copenhagen. Countries will have to set out clear plans on how to meet them, and this will provide greater certainty on how much money will be required for that task.

She told the Guardian: “It’s now a very different dynamic to the one at Copenhagen. We have INDCs so we can build from the bottom up from those numbers. INDCs start to give you a true sense of what is needed.”

This would encourage further investment from the private sector, she predicted.

The World Bank is one of the most important global contributors to climate finance, and all development banks are expected to produce clear plans as to how they will step up their efforts on climate finance to meet the $100bn goal by 2020. Other sources of climate finance are rich country governments, pledging taxpayer-funded amounts, and the private sector, which is increasingly investing in clean technology, as the price of renewables and other low-carbon technologies continues to fall.

However, there is still a large gap between the sum of all the sources of climate finance and the $100bn pledge, and it must be shown that this can be closed if developing countries are to be satisfied. There is a “trust deficit” between developing countries anxious to receive the assistance, and the developed countries who pledged it six years ago, said Kyte.

Kyte was adamant that the World Bank would continue to play its part in closing the gap, and would continue to play a major role in providing climate finance beyond 2020. She said that all finance provided to poor countries for their development should take account of the likely future ravages of global warming.

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