T

he national weather forecasting agency said it would take the lead in measuring greenhouse gas emissions from forests and peatlands as critics continue to cast doubt on the accuracy of Indonesia’s emissions data.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said it would set up five stations to measure and monitor concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane — the main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.

BMKG’s head of climate change and air quality, Edvin Aldrian, admitted that the government had tasked the agency with developing a measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV) system.

“We will focus on measuring and monitoring emissions from both forests and peatland,” he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The MRV is a system developed to ensure all emissions claims by countries can be verified by independent auditors in the field.

The system was agreed upon in the Copenhagen climate talks last year as a number of countries made voluntary pledges to reduce emissions to help slow down the rise of the planet’s average temperature.

Indonesia has vowed to cut 26 percent of emissions from “business as usual” by 2020 with the implementation of the MRV system.

The MRV has was also the main requirement when Indonesia signed a US$1 billion climate deal with Norway in May.

The money from Norway would be disbursed based on tons of emissions reduced from deforestation and forest degradation, which would be verified through the MRV system.

It is not clear whether the BMKG would also deal with this MRV system.

“Our task is to implement the MRV system on pledged 26 percent emission cuts,” Edvin said.

The BMKG’s climate change and air quality unit, set up last year, currently has one station in Bukitkotabang, West Sumatra.

The 2009 BMKG Law requires the agency to track the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

A draft presidential regulation on the MRV system obtained by the Post however, did not specify whether the BMKG would lead the drive to develop the MRV system.

The draft, which was expected to be signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this year, requires quality control to ensure accurate greenhouse gas emissions data.

Since the announcement of an MRV system in Copenhagen last year, both the Environment Ministry and Forestry Ministry are taking steps to host the MRV system.

Advin said that the planned five stations to measure and monitor emissions would be linked to the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW), where data would be translated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“We also hope the planned regional climate center built in Indonesia would ease the BMKG’s job to implement the MRV system,” he said.

The center will be funded partly by the US government.

Indonesian and US officials were scheduled to meet in Washington this month to discuss the planned center.

A press release posted on the US government web site said the climate center, which received an initial $7 million in US funding under the US-Indonesian comprehensive partnership announced in June, was already in business even though it did not have a building.