House approves bill to ratify Kyoto Protocol
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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