Businesspeople vow to be energy efficient

Theresia Sufa, Bogor

At least 130 businesspeople promised on Wednesday to cut their energy consumption and support the local administration's energy efficiency campaign to reduce the industrial sector's greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent by 2010.

Also promising to cut their energy consumption were state enterprises, regional administration enterprises, social groups and residents during a seminar titled Energy Efficiency that was held to mark 2004 World Environment Day, which fell on June 5.

Opening the seminar, Mayor Diani Budiarto said a recent study found the city's industrial sector accounted for 53 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in Bogor.

"Global warming and declining air quality are now effecting many parts of the world .... Besides curbing the rate of air pollution, the efficient use of energy, especially in the industrial sector, will also have economic benefits," he said.

The industrial community in Bogor agreed to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by cutting the use of fossil fuels and using others energy sources.

The head of the seminar organizer, Adi Priyanto, said the Bogor administration hoped to develop wind-powered and water- powered energy to replace fossil fuels.

"For a start, all of us agreed to cut our use of electricity as 83 percent of electricity in the city is used by the 130 industrial firms," he said.

The House of Representatives approved on Wednesday the ratification of the 10-year-old Kyoto Protocol on climate change as part of the country's efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

However, the protocol does not require developing countries such as Indonesia to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent below their 1990 levels, as it does advanced countries.

By ratifying the protocol, Indonesia joins 123 others that have adopted the international treaty.