Historic commitment by Indonesian governors
12/12/2007
The Governors of Indonesia’s Aceh and Papua provinces have made a clear commitment to reduce deforestation in their country, to protect wildlife and ecosystem services and to help tackle climate change. The rapid destruction of the country’s forests is releasing vast amounts of CO2 into the Earth’s atmosphere. On Friday 7th of December, the Governors gave their formal approval of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) mechanisms at a “Green Governors” press conference and dinner, co-hosted by Fauna & Flora International, Carbon Conservation PT Ltd and the Asia Development Bank (ADB).
Frank Momberg, FFI’s Asia-Pacific Regional Director of Development, said that this declaration would help protect a vast chunk of the world’s forests. FFI and Carbon Conservation are assisting the governors of Aceh and Papua to develop pilot projects for carbon financing mechanisms to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation.
This historic joint declaration also includes the Governor of Amazonas, the largest state in Brazil, which is another deforestation hotspot. Instead of allowing the destructive exploitation of the forests in their provinces, these governors will proclaim a moratorium on logging while the forests are reassessed for their carbon finance value by Carbon Conservation.
The trading mechanism Carbon Conservation proposes is based on the concept that developing countries should be compensated if they lower rates of deforestation and associated carbon emissions. Unfortunately, the Kyoto Protocol has historically neglected the concept of REDD carbon credits, even though approximately 20% of carbon emissions worldwide are caused by tropical deforestation. Indonesia now features in the Guinness Book of Records as the "world’s worst" in deforestation, felling the equivalent of 300 football fields an hour. Indonesia is the 3rd largest emitter of CO2 behind China and the USA due to the volume of emissions caused by deforestation.
While UN diplomats in Bali negotiate the future possibilities for REDD credits, Friday's event featured courageous custodians who have decided to act now. These “Green Governors” - even in the absence of market certainty around REDD credits - intend to use carbon finance to stem deforestation. Working with Carbon Conservation and accessing unique financial, technological and institutional systems, these governors are leaders in a new paradigm which enables them to save the rainforest and develop a sustainable economy at the same time.
For more information on our work in Indonesia, please see the following documents:
Download our briefing on REDD.
Download a summary of our project in Aceh.
Download a summary of our project in Papua.
FFI Communication Team:
Chris Loades
Communications Manager
Tel: +44 (0)1223 579 421
chris.loades@fauna-flora.org
Rebecca Foges
Communications Officer
Tel: +44 (0)1223 579 491
rebecca.foges@fauna-flora.org
FFI Indonesia contact:
Frank Momberg
Asia-Pacific Regional Director of Development
Tel: + 62 8121104723
frank.momberg@cbn.net.id
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