European, Asian nations talk environmental issues<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
State Minister for the Environment and president of the United
\nNations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Governing Council Rachmat
\nWitoelar urged European and Asian countries to do more to prevent
\nfurther deterioration of the environment in Asia.<\/p>\n
Rachmat said that because most environmental issues cut across
\nnational boundaries, countries in the two regions should
\neliminate barriers to work together to find solutions.<\/p>\n
"Nothing should ever be non-negotiable. No matter how hard it
\nmay be to achieve, partnership is the way to go if we want to
\nwork for the benefit of all human beings, and manage the
\nenvironment that nourishes and nurtures us," he said in his
\nopening speech at the Asia Europe Environment Forum (AEEF) here
\non Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The three-day forum is being attended by 250 participants from
\n38 Asian and European countries.<\/p>\n
Rachmat hoped the forum would not merely be all talk but would
\nproduce practical solutions that benefited Asian countries. He
\nhighlighted the need to eradicate illegal logging in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
"European countries do need lots of raw materials, such as
\nwood products, from tropical countries like us. We have to warn
\nthem that if they keep consuming wood products that came from
\nillegally cut timber, they will also bear the consequences some
\nday. I hope this forum can urge European countries to do more to
\nhelp Asia solve the problem," the minister told The Jakarta Post
\nafter the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has millions of hectares of biodiverse tropical
\nforests.<\/p>\n
Studies say, however, that deforestation is occurring at a
\nrate here of more than two million hectares a year, mostly
\nbecause of illegal logging.<\/p>\n
The latest World Wide Fund for Nature report said that
\nmillions of cubic meters of illegally logged timber from Asia,
\nincluding Indonesia, were being imported as processed wood
\nproducts by European countries.<\/p>\n
"Such a problem should be solved from upstream to downstream,
\nby the origin countries and consuming countries," Rachmat said.<\/p>\n
AEEF coordinator and Asia-Europe Foundation director Bertrand
\nFort said there needed to be a two-pronged solution to tackle
\nenvironmental problems like illegal logging.<\/p>\n
"We need to tackle this issue at two ends. European consumers,
\ncompanies and policy-makers that are importing timber should
\nrealize the situation in the producing countries and try to find
\nsolutions applicable in those countries of origin," Fort said.<\/p>\n
European Environment Agency program manager for strategic
\nknowledge and innovation David Stanners suggested that to tackle
\nenvironmental problems, both regions must apply a stick-and-
\ncarrot approach.<\/p>\n
"On one hand, you've got to have a law, applicable in both
\nregions, saying that you must not exceed the limit of wood
\nconsumption, while at the same time you also have to have some
\nsort of compensation to help people, companies or practitioners
\nto go in the desirable direction; that is to stop illegal
\nlogging," he told the Post.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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