House approves bill to ratify Kyoto Protocol

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta

The House of Representatives Commission I approved on Wednesday the bill on the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol as part of the country's effort to help reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the world.

The bill will be brought to the House's plenary session for endorsement. The ratification will come into force following the President's signature.

During a hearing with Cabinet members on Wednesday, the House Commission I working committee chairman Amris Hasan said the deliberations would likely finish on Thursday.

"The bill is part of our commitment to help reduce global warming," he said.

State Minister for the Environment Nabiel Makarim and a number of high ranking officials at his office were also present at the hearing.

The bill states that industrialized countries have long produced a huge amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Therefore, those countries are obliged to reduce their GHGs emission levels to curb the impact of climate change. On the other side, developing countries, which do not have an obligation to reduce their GHGs, are entitled to obtain donations from the wealthier nations.

The bill also stipulates that the Kyoto Protocol regulates three mechanisms for countries to work together to reduce the GHG levels. One is a joint implementation among advanced countries, clean development mechanism (CDM) between advanced countries and developing countries and emission trading among advanced countries.

Indonesia could participate in the reduction of GHG emissions via the CDM.

The CDM is a financing scheme where advanced countries invest in developing countries to reduce GHG levels as those developed countries are unable to reduce it further in their own countries.

Among the CDM projects are clean energy power plants and reforestation programs.

The bill also says that the Kyoto Protocol is aimed at maintaining GHGs in the atmosphere at a manageable level. The Protocol regulates the obligation from advanced countries to reduce their GHGs by 5 percent below the 1990 level, which should be done between 2008 to 2012.

Agus P. Sari, the director of non-governmental organization Pelangi, said the lawmakers' approval of the Kyoto Protocol ratification had been a long time coming.

"This is a good news as Indonesia would be severely impacted by climate change," he said in a press statement.

By ratifying the Protocol, Indonesia will join 123 other countries that have adopted the international treaty.

Key points of the Kyoto Protocol bill

* Kyoto Protocol states advanced countries must reduce their GHGs by 5 percent below the 1990 level. There is no such an obligation for developing countries.

* There are three mechanisms to reduce GHG emission levels: joint implementation, emission trading, and clean development mechanism (Indonesia could participate in CDM).

* Any disputes will be resolved in accordance with the UN Convention procedure through an out-of-court settlement. If that settlement can not be reached, the disputing parties could go to an international court or international arbitration.

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