Norway has reaffirmed its commitment of up to US$1 billion to help Indonesia meet its emissions reduction target.
Norwegian Environment and International Development Minister Erik Solheim said Norway is proud of the partnership with Indonesia.
“We strongly encourage other countries to support the work that President Yudhoyono and the government of Indonesia is doing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Solheim said.
He added that President Yudhoyono is now one of the foremost statesmen leading the international fight to combat climate change.
The President of Indonesia had pledged to dedicate the last three years of his administration to safeguarding his nation’s rainforests, a pledge that received broad support at a conference in Jakarta.
“We must change the way we treat our forests so that they are conserved even as we drive hard to accelerate our economic growth,” said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
A recent conference hosted by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) provided a platform for around 1,000 leaders of Indonesia’s government, business community and civil society, as well as foreign donors to discuss the future of the country’s forests, the third-largest tropical forest in the world.
“I will continue my work and dedicate the last three years of my term as President to deliver enduring results that will sustain and enhance the environment and forests of Indonesia,” Yudhoyono said.
According to data at the Ministry of Forestry, Indonesia is losing about 1.1 million hectares of its forests each year,. Most of the loss is due to unsustainable logging that includes the conversion of forests to plantations for palm oil and the pulp and paper industry.
President Yudhoyono called on Indonesia’s captains of industry to adopt more sustainable forests management practices.
“I call upon our business leaders, particularly those in the palm oil, pulp wood and mining sectors, to partner with us by enhancing the environmental sustainability of their operations,” the President said. “I ask you to join me in pledging to safeguard this national treasure for the sake of our children.”
Besides Norway, Indonesia is also receiving some help from the United States to conserve its Kalimantan forests, located on one part of the Borneo island.
