Indonesia’s Colossal, Vital, and Unusual Role in the Global Climate Change Debate
Peter Riggs will lead a discussion on Indonesia’s role in global climate change negotiations and Indonesia’s actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the global level, President Yudhoyono made a dramatic national commitment of emission reductions last year, and Indonesia has urged adoption by ASEAN of the Copenhagen Accord. Riggs will unpack both the geopolitical and climate-change-mitigation contexts for these actions. Additionally, Riggs will discuss Indonesia’s attempts to put in place the necessary legal and regulatory safeguards that aim to make the country an attractive investment for REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) projects. REDD is the emerging global mechanism for compensating countries for reducing deforestation, and while Indonesia is vital to the success of global efforts to combat forest loss, it is also unprepared for the task at hand. Lastly, he will lead a discussion on REDD as a mechanism in the UNFCCC context as well as Indonesia’s approach to REDD; Riggs will encourage comments from the audience involved with REDD efforts in Indonesia.