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head of the UN Climate Change Conference in December, the French Embassy, German Embassy and British Embassy held on Saturday an event promoting the use of eco-friendly products, at Pasar Santa in Kebayoran, South Jakarta.

Cooperating with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indonesia, the embassies focused their campaign on encouraging the public to choose environmentally friendly products for their daily needs and to be as efficient as possible in their consumption.

'€œWe want to raise awareness of the people, especially young people, that Indonesia plays an important role in fighting global warming because the country is very vulnerable to be affected by climate change,'€ Stuart Bruce, climate politics adviser of the British Embassy in Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post.

The campaigners called on people to become smart consumers by choosing eco-labeled products for everyday items, such as tissues and packaged milk.

The eco-labels give a guarantee to consumers that the products used sustainable natural resources and did not harm the environment.

WWF Indonesia footprint campaign coordinator Margareth Meutia said that tissues must have a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) logo on the packaging to be considered eco-friendly. FSC certification ensures that products come from well-managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

'€œThe logo shows that the producers follow nature conservation rules. They take wood from industrial forests, not natural forests,'€ she said.

Margareth also said that seafood products with certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) indicated that sustainable and well-managed processes were used and that fishermen did not use bombs to catch the fish.

Unfortunately, Margareth added, most eco-labeled products sold in Indonesia were imported because local producers did not pay much attention to environmental matters.

Margareth admitted that eco-labeled products were often more expensive but said the price was worth it for environmental sustainability.

'€œSustainable products are supposed to be more expensive because our natural resources are not cheap and are easily exploited. The earth is not cheap,'€ she said.

Young Indonesians, she added, were growing more concerned and critical about the environment, but did not know how to act.

The embassies also invited Sawo Kecik, a handicraft community initiated by couple Pimpi and Rangga Kusmalendra. The group focuses on recycling milk cartons, turning them into products such as glasses cases, notebook covers, wallets and identity card holders.

To make the products eye-catching, Pimpi and Rangga cover them with patterned fabrics.

'€œWe chose milk cartons because they are urban waste. The city has many coffee shops and cafes which use milk as a ingredient. Each of them can produce two big plastic bags of milk cartons,'€ Pimpin said.

The German Embassy'€™s cultural attache Didier Vuilecot said campaigning for eco-friendly products could have a big impact globally.

'€œWe need to start now. We want to persuade young people in Indonesia to be creative to save the earth so that we can work together to combat the bad effects of climate change,'€ Vuilecot said, adding that Pasar Santa was a good place to reach young people.

The world is looking toward the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris, where around 148 countries are set to discuss reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting goals for combating climate change.

'€œWe have to spread the message to young people in such an interesting way. So we can start thinking together,'€ Vuilecot told the Post. (foy)