A

s the Kyoto Protocol expires this 2012, nations are rushing to prepare its successor.

Indonesia, the world’s second largest forest nation and a major player within the developing nations’ faction, holds a leading role in negotiations, officials and environmentalists here say.

National Council for Climate Change (DPNI) chairman Rachmat Witoelar said Indonesia is totally committed to Kyoto’s successor, whatever it may be.

“Climate change is everyone’s concern. To save the earth, we have to save its people — not to rely on a high-cost mitigation program, but to provide help to the public for understanding and eventually adapting,” he said.

The introduction of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and Enhancing carbon stocks (REDD+) initiative saw the most defining element in the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol’s successor, Rachmat said.

He said any form of future agreements would be expected to incorporate the initiative despite controversial policies that deal with complex issues of human rights, finance, corruption and national sovereignty.

The countdown to the 17th Conference of Parties in Durban to be held from Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 2011, had begun with heated discussions in Bonn.

The conference was held in preparation for Durban. Many groups, however, raised doubts about the speed of reaching an agreement to Kyoto’s successor.

“As one of the larger nations of the G 77, Indonesia has an important role to play in negotiations leading up to Durban,” Rachmat said.

The Bonn conference saw Indonesia and other developing nations praised for their National Economic, Environment and Development Study for Climate Change (NEEDS) report, which described adaptation and mitigation needed in each country.

Indonesia has also stated the need to promote transparency in order to realize “fast track finance” that would help the world to see through long-term climate change funding.