Developed countries' reticence to set a reduction emission target by 2020 might be fatal for archipelagic countries, including Indonesia, State Minister for the Environment, Rachmat Witoelar, said Tuesday.
The Major Economic Forum on Energy and Climate, held during the G8 Summit in Italy on July 9-10, declared the average global temperatures should not rise more than 2 degrees Celsius and that the participating countries aimed to substantially reduce emissions by 2050.
Participants in the forum included G8 nations Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the US; emerging countries Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea; and the EU.
Rachmat said as in previous conferences, negotiations in the forum were lengthy and impractical.
"It is very saddening that after long and hard negotiations, the countries prefer to postpone making the most important decisions."
"The countries have even been unable to set the target for emission reduction in 2050. While these countries are hesitant to take real action, island countries will probably disappear from the world map."
Rachmat was speaking at a media conference on the Forum's results.
Global warming, which causes a rise of sea level could shrink worldwide land territories.
"Indonesia comprises 17,000 islands and will also suffer devastating effects due to global warming."
He said G8 countries were willing to reduce their carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 if developing countries also reduced their carbon emission by 20 percent.
"Developing countries agreed to the reduction but insisted G8 make a shorter-term target of cutting emissions by 25 percent by 2020.
"The meeting met a deadlock as G8 said the target would harshly affect their economies."
The forum was also unable to finalize the amount of funds used to build environmentally-friendly technology in developing countries.
"G8 members have set a target to give aid worth at least US$ 400 billion to help build environmentally-friendly technology in developing countries," said Masnellyarti Hilman, a deputy minister for natural resources management.
"Yet, after the negotiation process, G8 was only able to gather $ 200 billion. Therefore, they postponed distributing the fund."
For Indonesia, there is also an economic motive related to climate change issues. The country wishes to get income from carbon trading and also to receive environmentally-friendly technology aid from developed countries.
"Of course Indonesia has a great interest in preserving nature. But it also needs funds to preserve nature." (mrs)
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