Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 06/18/2008 10:44 AM
Indonesia has called on rich nations to meet promises they made during last year's climate change conference in Bali to take the lead in emissions cuts to tackle global warming.
Developed countries remained reluctant to make a new commitment to reduce their emissions after six months of the much-welcomed Bali road map, State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar told the press here Tuesday.
"The discussions, particularly on emissions reduction targets for rich nations, remain tough. They are still reluctant to open their wallets to fulfill their promises," said Rachmat, who spoke on behalf of the president of the United Nations' Conference of Parties (COP) on climate change.
"Please, stick to the Bali agenda and focus on what steps to take after 2012."
He made the statement in response to two recent international meetings that both failed to focus on goals for mid-term emissions cuts.
"Rich nations seem to be trying to shift the issue to long-term solutions, after 2050 ... (but) the world needs real emissions cuts for mid-term targets," the minister said.
The latest round of UN-sponsored global climate change negotiations concluded Friday in Bonn, Germany, with a call for all parties to step up negotiations in the run-up to a crucial climate change summit next year.
The two-week meeting, attended by more than 2,000 participants from 170 countries, failed to reach a consensus on new binding emissions cuts for wealthy nations, which are widely blamed for being the main contributors of carbon dioxide causing climate change.
In March, an international conference held in Thailand similarly failed to set a binding target for emissions cuts.
The Bali road map stipulates that nations must come up with new binding emissions cuts during a Copenhagen summit in 2009 to replace the Kyoto Protocol that will expire in 2012.
The protocol requires each of 36 wealthy nations to cut 5 percent of their emissions by 2012. But except for the eastern bloc countries, they are on a pace that will not reach anywhere close to the target by the deadline.
The United States, the world's top emitter, is the only major developed economy to reject the protocol's binding emissions cuts on fears of its economic costs.
The United States also insisted that Asia's emerging economic nations, China and India, should also be on the list of nations obliged to make emissions cuts.
Under the protocol, no developing nation -- Indonesia included -- is required to make emissions cuts.
Rachmat said Indonesia, however, would take actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions in efforts to help the world fight global warming.
"We are a poor nation and not required to set a binding target, but we have still committed to slashing about 17 percent of emissions from our energy sectors. Why do the rich nations still close their eyes?" he said.
The negotiators of the climate change conference will meet again in Accra, Ghana, in August in part to discuss emissions cuts.
Rachmat said he would attend a climate change meeting hosted by the Group of Eight (G8) club of rich nations next month in Japan to demand they focus on mid-term solutions.
