Keynote Speech by President of RI on Forest Indonesia Conference, Jakarta, 27 September 2011
KEYNOTE SPEECH BY
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA
ON
FOREST INDONESIA CONFERENCE:
ALTERNATIVE FUTURES TO MEET DEMANDS
FOR FOOD, FIBRE, FUEL, AND REDD+
SEPTEMBER 27, 2011
SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, JAKARTA
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Bismillahirrahanirrahim,
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Yang saya hormati Bapak Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, Former Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia,
Your Excellencies Minister Erik Solheim of Norway, and Minister Jim Paice of the United Kingdom,
Your Honour Ms Frances Seymour, the Director General of CIFOR,
Excellencies Ministers and Ambassadors,
Chiefs of International Organizations,
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, let me begin by welcoming all of you to this important
Conference. It
is indeed an honour and pleasure for me and my Government, to be part of this
important meeting. The theme of this conference, "Forest Indonesia: Alternative
futures to meet the demands for food, fuel, fiber and REDD+" is very relevant
and timely.
For Indonesia, like many other countries blessed with tropical forests, are
facing the challenge of sustainably managing its vitally important forest
resources. Hence,
let me congratulate the organizers, CIFOR and their partners, for bringing
together, under
one roof, forest stakeholders, from all over Indonesia and the world. We have
among us government officials and representatives of NGOs, civil society as
well as the business and academic communities.
We may have different backgrounds, but we all have known the pleasure of
resting in the cool shade of a tree. It would be nice if one day we could organize
a conference like this in the open air, protected from the heat of the sun, by
the green crown of sturdy trees.
I am glad that this Conference discussion and its outcome will be shared online
by audiences worldwide, including
the forthcoming COP-17 in Durban, South Africa. This will be an excellent
opportunity for us to stress on the importance to walk the talk, and not just
talk the talk. On
my part, I will continue my work and dedicate the last three years of my term
as President, to deliver enduring results that will sustain and enhance the
environment and forests of Indonesia.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Exactly six months ago, in this same hotel, I spoke before the participants to
the Business for the Environment Conference, or B4E conference. During that
meeting I dared the business world to think innovatively to create a balance
between gaining economic benefits and ensuring the preservations and sustainability
of the global environment.
The aim of today's meeting, logically, is to build upon the discussions held
last April and re-affirm Indonesia's pioneering role in harnessing forestry to
the global effort to address climate change. Indeed, forests are
so dear to my heart, and I am sure all of you also hold it close to your
hearts. Forests are so precious because in the first place, if it were not for
their air-filtering trees, we would all be breathing in polluted air and living
in a much hotter world.
If it weren't for the shelter and food that forests provide, we would have
scarce if any biodiversity at all. And the wonders of the animal world such as
the Sumatran tiger, the rhinoceros and the orangutan would have gone extinct a
long time ago. And
most importantly, if it weren't for the benefits that our forests provide, then
our way of life, our people, our economy, our environment and our society would
be so much poorer.
Hence, the core of my message today is that our success in managing our forests
will determine our future and the opportunities that will be available to our
children. And
yet, our forests remain under tremendous pressure. Globally, we are facing the challenges of climate
change and environmental degradations. Global warming increasingly threatens our
livelihood and even our very survival. On top of that, because we are facing
another global financial crisis, nations may lose vigour in meeting their
environment-related commitments.
As a developing nation, we prioritize the promotions of growth and the
eradication of poverty. But we will not achieve these goals by sacrificing our
forests. We must attain both development and the management of our forests simultaneously. This is because
forest management is tightly intertwined with the livelihood of our people,
with our food security, with the availability of wood and fuel. It is also
closely linked with climate change.
Therefore,
we need to take bold initiatives through close collaboration and partnership
with all stakeholders.
We must change the way we treat our forests, so that they are conserved even as
we drive hard to accelerate our economic growth. We must intensify our efforts
to cut down emissions from land use, land use change and forestry exploitation.
These factors account for up to 85 percent of Indonesia's entire greenhouse gas
emissions.
I do not want to later explain to my granddaughter Almira, that we, in our
time, could not save the forests and the people that depends on it. I do not
want to tell her the sad news that the tigers, rhinoceroses, and orangutans
vanished like the dinosaurs.
And I am sure that none of you would want to deliver such grim news to your
children and grandchildren. I am sure that you all want to see that those
forests will still be there several decades from now, fascinating us with
their beauty and the mysteries they hold. And still providing economic benefits
while help stabilize the climate of planet Earth. And I am also sure that you would like these forests to become our precious
legacy for our children.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
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Let me now bring up a few questions that are relevant to your discussions in this meeting.
First, at the global level, what would Indonesia's sustainable forests management efforts mean?
Indonesia's tropical forests are the third largest in the world, and they are
central to our economy, environment, and society. Our forests host roughly 12
percent of the world's mammals, 16 percent of its reptiles and amphibians and
17 percent of all bird species. Over 10,000 species of trees have been recorded
across the archipelago. Each year many new species are discovered in Indonesia.
This biological gift is intertwined with the rich cultural diversity of
Indonesia's forest.
Forests are the lynchpin to our biodiversity. They are home to bees, bats,
birds, insects,
and other pollinators of the crops we plant. They also help regulate the
quality and availability of water for irrigation. Forests provide foods,
including seeds, leaves, fruits, roots, gums, mushrooms, and habitat for
animals. Indonesia,
home to the third largest tropical forests in the world, views itself as the
custodian of these great green treasures; and I want to keep it that way. So we
are gathered here to deal collectively with those challenges to our forests.
My next question is,
then, why is sustainable forest management so important to Indonesia?
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The first reason is food security. Indonesia's 238 million citizens are under pressure of rising commodity prices. The Government of Indonesia is pursuing a programme to increase agricultural and forest productivity, particularly through the cultivation of critical and idle lands. In this regard, we have selected centers of rice production in several provinces throughout Indonesia. Indeed, the sustainability of forests is crucial to an abundant rice harvests.
Secondly, in the area of energy security, our forests are home to potential
sources of energy such as micro-hydro, geo-thermal, and bio-energy. We are
increasing the portion of alternative sources of energy in our energy-mix.
Forest ecosystems offer competitive advantage by making possible the
replacement of conventional fuels by renewable energy sources.
Thirdly, Indonesia is a major supplier of fiber. Indonesia's land availability
and the fast-growth of many tree species, supported by favorable tropical
climate, have also increased the economic value of our forests.
Fourthly, forests make the terrain more resistant to landslides that threaten
many communities. They are vital to efforts at mitigating and adapting to
climate change, the impact of which is now being felt all over our archipelago
and the rest of the world. Also, our mangrove forests, the
largest in the world, can
protect coastal communities from the devastation that can be inflicted by
storms and tsunamis. Moreover, mangrove forests serve as nurseries to many fish
species that are of great commercial importance, and also crucial to our food security.
And lastly,
through our efforts at reducing CO2 emissions, Indonesia can make a significant
positive impact on the climate situation. In this regard, although our peat
swamp forests are the largest in the world, they have suffered degradation.
That has greatly diminished their capacity to reduce CO2 emissions. Restoration
is therefore very essential. Hence, it is clear
that Indonesia's forests are of immense value. They offer us a lot of
opportunities and benefits. We therefore need to go into partnership with
all stakeholders to sustainably manage our forest resources.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
To ensure the sustainability of our forests while still meeting our development
objectives, my government has given priority to a set of policies and actions
to safeguard our forests and ensure their sustainable management. I made a pledge at
the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh that we in Indonesia will voluntarily reduce our
greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent from business-as-usual levels by 2020.
Since then, my government has carried out many initiatives.
In 2010, we signed a Letter of Intent with the Government of Norway to cut
emissions by reducing deforestation and forest degradation. This is known as
REDD+, a
concept that was launched in Bali in 2007. In May this year, I
instituted a two-year moratorium on new licenses to exploit natural primary
forest and all peat lands. About two weeks ago, I signed a Decree outlining
more than 70 self-funded government programs. This is a demonstration of our
commitment to reduce by 26 percent our projected emission in 2020 under a
business as usual scenario.
These are groundbreaking steps, but they are not goals in themselves. They are
simply measures that give us time and resources, to review and revise land use
policy and practice. They also provide opportunity to develop a new sector in
our economy, through
ecosystem restoration concessions for carbon sequestration and emission
reduction.
Apart from the moratorium, we have built indicative maps that are important to
the implementation of REDD+,
and to the formulation of wise, correct
policies related to forests. These maps will also facilitate the resolution of
decades-long problems of land use and land tenure.
I have also signed a Decree to set up a Task Force for the establishment of a
REDD+ agency as stated in the Letter of Intent between Indonesia and Norway. We are also
developing a national strategy on REDD+. The strategy includes elements such as the
establishment of REDD+ institutions, the formation of relevant financial
mechanisms, monitoring,
and benefit-sharing. To this end, and to meet the REDD+ expected targets,
global funding is necessary.
I am happy to inform you that there are now more than 40 REDD+ pilot or
demonstration projects across Indonesia. This makes us a pioneer in creative
ways to address climate change. It also provides us with research insights that
will enrich our discussions today, and at the forthcoming global negotiations
in COP17 in Durban, South Africa.
Another initiative of ours is the Forest Eleven Forum that we launched four
years ago, which has brought together major tropical forest countries. My government
has also pursued bilateral forestry cooperation with several countries. In the light of
international enthusiasm for sustainable forest management, our local
stakeholders must also take an active role in this field. I call upon our
business leaders, particularly those in the palm oil, pulp wood, and mining
sectors, to partner with us by enhancing the environmental sustainability of
their operations.
Still another initiative is the provision of funding for small and medium
enterprises run by forest-edge inhabitants, micro finance programmes for the
rural poor and for women, and Local Development Projects for local villages, known in Indonesia as PNPM. At the grassroot
level, we have also launched a massive campaign programme to plant one billion
trees nation-wide annualy. Â It
is said that "an apple a day keeps the doctors away." I would like to say: "A billion trees
a year shield the world's lungs from decay."
Excellencies, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
Despite our modest achievements, I am mindful that these efforts will only take
us part of the way towards our emission reduction target. A long journey
still awaits us. We know we must do more, to address the primary sources of our
greenhouse emissions, such as illegal logging, forest encroachment, forest and
land fires, and peat land drainage. And indeed we are working hard and comprehensively
to overcome these challenges.
At the same time, we are mainstreaming all these perspectives and commitments
into a special development framework. Our endeavours to effectively protect the
environment are reflected in a special 15-year Master Plan to accelerate and
expand our economic development. This means that sustainable development is
part and parcel of our efforts to boost Indonesia's economy, so that it will
become the 12th largest economy by 2025.
This meeting is of great value of
Indonesia. It is a contribution to global efforts at protecting forests, and to
the advance of the climate change discourse. I am especially pleased to see
many business leaders here today, because they bring decades of experience to
the table, and help to shape the future of our nation's forests. I encourage
all of you to forge greater cooperation with international partners. I ask you to join
me in pledging to safeguard this national treasure, for the sake of our
children.
And as
I mentioned earlier, Indonesia, as custodian of one the largest tropical
forests of the world, will continue to maintain a pro-environment growth
strategy. The
task before us today is to chart a sustainable future for our forests and meet
our development objectives. This is not an easy task. But we will pay a much
higher price if we do not take up the challenge. By working hard together, we
can help guarantee the future of our forests. And the future of our children
and grandchildren. And that future begins
now.
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I thank you.
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Asisten Deputi Naskah dan Penerjemahan,
Deputi Bidang Dukungan Kebijakan,
Kementerian Sekretariat Negara RI