MARRAKESH, KOMPAS — Indonesia outlined its steps when given the opportunity to speak at the 22nd Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh, Morocco. Jakarta also believes that the Paris Agreement must be implemented seriously and renegotiations must be avoided. Furthermore, Indonesia needs to be more courageous in leading countries in implementing the Paris Agreement.

"Indonesia is preparing guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It is important for all parties to maintain a balanced understanding to prevent renegotiation of the agreement," said Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Wednesday (11/16). This was explained when representing Indonesia in delivering a statement at the 22nd UNFCCC Climate Change Conference (COP), as reported by Kompas journalist, Ichwan Susanto, in Marrakesh. She pointed out that Indonesia had ratified the Paris Agreement on October 31, 2016 and registered its first national emission reduction commitment on November 6, 2016. This was done as mandated by Indonesia's constitution to protect citizens' rights to a healthy environment. "We are committed to increasing action towards 2020 and implementing post-2020 commitments," she said.

So far, Indonesia has implemented policies that provide a strong foundation for implementing the Paris Agreement. These include strengthening the One Map policy, implementing a moratorium on forestry permits in primary forests and peatlands, reviewing permits in peat swamps, restoring peat ecosystems, and allocating 12.7 million hectares for social forestry.

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These policies were developed in collaboration with stakeholders, such as academics and civil society. This is to ensure that government actions align with improving the welfare of forest-dwelling communities in more than 30,000 villages.

Siti emphasized that Indonesia is committed to reducing emissions from reducing deforestation and forest degradation, sustainable forest management, and increasing and conserving carbon stocks (REDD+). In the energy sector, Indonesia is developing clean energy sources and an energy mix of 23 percent by 2025 and 31 percent by 2050, with coal use reaching 30 percent by 2025 and 25 percent by 2050.

Responding to the Indonesian Minister of Environment and Forestry's speech, the Madani Foundation argued that Indonesia, as a large archipelagic nation vulnerable to disasters and the impacts of climate change, neglected to emphasize the major obstacles in the negotiations. "Fulfilling the historical responsibility of developed countries to radically reduce domestic emissions, especially before 2020, because that phase is crucial for limiting global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius," said Muhammad Teguh Surya, a Madani Foundation activist in Morocco.

He further stated that Indonesia should encourage commitments from developed countries to support adaptation, particularly in terms of financing. Currently, developed countries are focused solely on mitigation outcomes outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Kompas print, November 17, 2016

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