INDONESIA - REACTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 JAKARTA 001771 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE AIDAC DEPT FOR OES/EGC AND EAP/MTS COMMERCE FOR NOAA/INTERNATIONAL USDOE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND FOSSIL ENERGY TREASURY FOR BAUKOL AND BERG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KGHG SENV ENRG ID SUBJECT: INDONESIA - REACTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE INITIATIVE REF: STATE 75287 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Per reftel, Embassy hosted eleven Indonesian NGOs for a roundtable discussion of President Bush's new international framework initiative, and reaction was generally positive. The NGOs stressed that combating deforestation needs to be part of the initiative, along with increased investment to developing countries. Embassy also met with a leading environmental think tank, which recommended early involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the initiative. Liana Bratasida, expert advisor to the Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, stressed the importance of Chinese participation. A longtime participant of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) called for stronger U.S. leadership. Media reaction to the initiative noted the USG has failed to take a strong enough leadership role on climate change, and that the administration's views are not in line with U.S. public opinion. End Summary. Don't Forget Deforestation -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On June 20, Embassy hosted in Jakarta nineteen individuals representing eleven NGOs (see full list para 14). The NGOs covered a spectrum of the conservation movement globally and in Indonesia. Embassy briefed on President Bush's May 31 initiative, and explained current clean development and climate change projects in the U.S. The formal presentation was only 30 minutes, but the subsequent discussion lasted for nearly 90 minutes. ¶3. (SBU) The NGOs mentioned several times that the USG needs to assist Indonesia with its deforestation problem. They view deforestation, both legal and illegal, as Indonesia's biggest challenge on climate change. It is small comfort to see the USG promote biofuels on the world stage with the possible result of even more Indonesian rainforests burned to clear the way for palm oil plantations. (Note: Indonesia has promoted palm oil for a biodiesel and international demand for crude palm oil has soared. Heavy smoke pollution from annual burning in Sumatra and Kalimantan contributes significantly to greenhouse gases.) NGOs: More Investment Capital Needed -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The NGOs state that the bottleneck for progress in Indonesia under the U.N. Development Program's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other projects is a lack of capital investment. The NGOs asked for details on how the framework will assist developing countries, beyond promises to end tariffs on clean energy and make new technology more affordable. ¶5. (SBU) The NGOs are also curious about the role Indonesia, and NGOs specifically, can play in the November meeting with the 15 largest emitters. They also stated that the USG deliver a holistic and sustainable approach and not just a "piecemeal" list of projects. Citing the USG's involvement in energy reform through working with Ministry of Energy and other stakeholders in the early 1990s, the NGOs praised the USAID project for successful engagement, bringing in technical expertise for a long-term holistic approach to this important initiative. The NGOs asked a number of questions, including whether the USG is collecting specific reactions to the G8 summit declaration and whether the USG would be expanding or contracting their overall budgeted assistance for programs like the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA) and other forestry-related programs. Think Tank Recommends Early NGO Involvement -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In a meeting with Moekti Handajani Soejachmoen, Executive Director of Yayasan Pelangi Indonesia, one of Indonesia's leading environmental think tanks, Soejachmoen urged that the U.S. consider early involvement of NGOs in helping prepare for the President's meeting of the top 15 major emitting nations. Soejachmoen noted that if the U.S. took steps to better inform leading NGOs and think tanks from high-emitting nations about the details, structure and agenda of the proposed President's meeting, NGOs would be able to JAKARTA 00001771 002 OF 003 help prepare the official delegations from their countries. Soejachmoen's believes better planning with more stakeholder buy-in results from partnering with NGOs in developing the country plans. ¶7. (SBU) Soejachmoen also noted that she was in agreement with many of the NGOs' comments provided during the roundtable. She remarked that many of the stakeholders in Indonesia (government, NGOs, and public) still needed to do their homework to better understand climate change and how all the issues tied together with competing government agendas. Citing the trade-off of palm oil jobs with deforestation, Soejachmoen noted that climate change issues span multiple Indonesian ministries: Environment, Energy, Forestry, and Research and Technology. A government plan must be coordinated all relevant ministries, and consider the availability of technical experts. Participation of China Crucial to Success -------------- ¶8. (SBU) On June 25, Liana Bratasida, Expert to the Minister for Global Environmental Affairs (a position at the level of Deputy Minister) told us that she saw President Bush's Climate Change policy as a positive development. She sees the initiative as a process where the U.S. is now interested in developing both its own national strategy but also assuming greater leadership within climate change. She welcomed the initiative as "a good signal" of U.S. intentions. However, Liana noted that Indonesia would watch closely how China would handle the invitation to join the U.S. proposed meeting of the top 15 emitters. She felt that persuading China to participate would be critical to overall success. "Without China, how can it really be successful?" Liana also expressed concerns about the link between the President's plan, the COP-13 conference in Bali, and recent efforts made by the Asia Pacific Partnership on Climate Technology. Liana said that Indonesia would likely focus on three issues in the context of the President's plan: stakeholder involvement, attention to forestry and linkages to technology transfer. Stronger Leadership by U.S. and Others Needed -------------- ¶9. (SBU) We spoke on June 26 with the country director of EcoSecurities Indonesia, a company that sources, develops, and trades carbon credits. He has been to every UNFCCC COP except for COP 2. He stated that "developed countries must provide strong leadership" on climate change, and that the time for action is now. The U.S. should work with countries that can meet emissions targets with some help and encouragement, such as South Korea and Singapore, to serve as a precedent for developing countries in their plans regarding emissions. It is also important to consider the emissions of sub-national regions, noting that industrialized coastal China is much different than rural China. ¶10. (SBU) In Indonesia, 85% of emissions stem from deforestation, and 33% of global deforestation emissions are from Indonesia. Cutting deforestation would be "an easy win", showing the world that a developing country can set and meet targets, and bring emissions down. He stated that Indonesia has a significant opportunity with biofuels, but that the problem is sustainability. The Indonesian government pursues cheap coal-fired power with higher emissions, ignoring the opportunities from fuel from the biomass waste at palm oil mills. Forests on Worldwide Agenda -------------- ¶11. (SBU) On June 26, we spoke with the director and a senior scientist of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), which focuses on forestry and land use. They stated that the increased awareness of climate change now brings forests "on the worldwide agenda," but stressed the need to see forests in the whole context of the climate change issue. Adaptation issues must receive the same attention as mitigation issues, noting that land use is an area which can address both. Many individuals have discussed adaptation since COP-8, but only further talk resulted, not actions. They hope that COP-13 will stress adaptation issues. They also JAKARTA 00001771 003 OF 003 cautioned against the wide-ranging focus on technology in President Bush's initiative: progress in forestry and land use result from economic incentives and governmental policy. Media: U.S. Not Taking a Leadership Role -------------- ¶12. (U) The Indonesian media primarily reported on the President's climate change proposal in conjunction with the G8 Summit. The few opinion pieces published in domestic newspapers expressed two consistent themes: the U.S. has failed to take a leadership role on the climate change issue, and that the administration's views on climate change are not in line with those of the U.S. public and Congress. Indonesia's largest English-language daily newspaper, The Jakarta Post, ran an opinion piece on June 7 stating that the proposal does not include enough detail and does not account for existing international efforts to combat climate change. The author suggested that the President Bush's proposal does not live up to the expectation that the U.S. will take a leadership role on climate change. He indicated that the President's plan does not take the climate change issue as seriously as the U.S. public and politicians do. Indonesia's largest Indonesian-language daily newspaper, Kompas, published a similar opinion piece on June 14. ¶13. (U) Soejachmoen also gave an interview on June 14 to the Jakarta Post regarding the COP-13 conference in Bali and the U.S. stance on climate change. She suggested there needs to be an internal process within the U.S. to shift the administration's position on climate change. Some policy-makers in other countries feel that they must wait for the U.S. to participate in global negotiations before a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol is developed. NGO Roundtable Attendees -------------- ¶14. (SBU) NGOs attending the roundtable event included: --Yayasan Pelangi Indonesia (focus on air quality, energy, and transportation management) --WWF Indonesia (Program director for climate change and energy attended) --Yayasan Bina Usaha Lingkungan YBUL (focus on responsible and environmental sustainable energy and clean technology) --KEHATI (focus on Indonesian biodiversity) --IBEKA (focus on rural electrification and clean water supply in remote areas) --Conservation International Indonesia (focus on conservation of living nature heritage, including illegal logging in Sumatra) --Birdlife Indonesia (focus on conservation on sites, species and habitats) --WCS Wildlife Conservation Society (focus climate change adaptation and mitigation for tigers and other wildlife) --EcoSecurities (focus on sourcing, developing, and trading carbon credits) --Energi Alternatif Indonesia (focus on biofuels and alternative energy sources) --TELAPAK (focus on forestry and illegal logging) HEFFERN