RI signs bilateral funding agreements

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 01/13/2010 8:53 PM

While the pledges for huge amounts made at multilateral talks remain to be seen, Indonesia has signed a number of bilateral agreements with richer nations to get climate funding — mostly in forest-related areas.

State Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta argued that the bilateral deals were currently the faster way to get climate funding.

“But, even without their money Indonesia will go ahead to protect the planet,” Hatta told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

“It is our moral responsibility to tackle climate change for the sake of our people.”

He also insisted that bilateral agreements would not ruin ongoing multilateral talks on climate change after the Copenhagen conference failed to hammer out a binding agreement on emissions cuts and climate funding.

After the Copenhagen meeting Indonesia signed MoUs on climate change issues with the governments of Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, New Zealand and the United States.

The Australian government has provided A$30 million (US$27.74 million) to fund a Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) project in Jambi, which is scheduled to begin in January.

Jambi’s forests are estimated to cover around 2.1 million hectares.

It also channeled A$40 million to another REDD project in Central Kalimantan in 2009.