Indonesia Hopes to Complete Climate Action Plan Next Month

Jakarta Globe, Fidelis E. Satriastanti, January 28, 2010

Yudhoyono committed to reducing carbon emissions through land use change and better forest management to avoid fires. (Photo: Michael Booth, AFP/IFAW)

Indonesia will complete its national plan of action for emission cuts before February 20, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajarsa said on Thursday.

During last year’s G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a pledge to cut the country’s emissions by 26 percent by 2020 and said that with international assistance the country would aim to reduce its emissions by 41 percent.

“We are determined that this should be finalized before February 20 to show that Indonesia is very serious about its emission plans,” said Hatta, who is also the deputy head of the National Council on Climate Change.

He added that the council had a detailed breakdown on how to reach the 26 percent target from each sector.

“We have all the details, such as what the forestry sector and energy sector need to do, and how much it will cost,” he said, adding that the government would also be preparing for the nation’s emissions to be able to be measured and verified as being in agreement with those from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Meanwhile, Rachmat Witoelar, executive head of the Council, said Indonesia will send its notification to be a part of the Copenhagen Accord following December’s international climate talks, but will deliver emission details at a later date.

“The submission deadline on the Accord is a soft deadline, we’ll say that we associate with the accord but details will follow later,” he said, adding that developing countries are not obliged to submit any details concerning their emission cuts.

Eka Melissa, deputy chair of a working group on international negotiations at the council, said that there were no sanctions if parties were not able to submit anything by the January 31 deadline.

“Based on the Accord, developed countries are supposed to submit their targets for emission cuts, while developing countries only have to submit their action plans for mitigation, called NAMAs,” Eka said.

“However, we have just finished meeting with the coordinating ministers and just got the national plans from Bappenas (the National Development Planning Board), so it will take time to coordinate with each sector (about the details to be provided to the UNFCCC).”

She said that they will try to submit on the due date, but still need the approval of cabinet before submitting to the UNFCCC.

“We are also still pursuing the UNFCCC on the mechanisms of this submission, but we’re serious (about the emission cuts). However, we won’t be giving that many details to the UNFCCC,” she added.