RI, USA talk deforestation, environment and trade

Anggi m. Lubis, the Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Tue, June 18 2013, 11: 56 AM

Paper Edition | Page: 14

The Government will the us through a business forum combating deforestation, reducing carbon emissions and increasing trade.

Kerri-Ann Jones, U.s. Assistant Secretary of State for oceans, international environmental and Scientific Affairs, during her visit to the Ministry of forestry said on Monday that the dialogue a tropical forest Alliance (TFA) — formed through a public-private partnership (PPP) — deforestation on the purchasing of raw materials such as palm oil, paper and pulp industry could be addressed.

Current TFA 2020 membership includes the consumer goods Forum — a network of more than 400 companies with an annual turnover of US $ 3 trillion topping — and the Governments of Norway and the Netherlands, the us, United Kingdom.

"When we think about economic growth, the private sector must be a strong partner," Jones told reporters after the meeting.

She said she expects the our partnership with Indonesia — and other countries — would ensure that private sector "really try to find creative solutions for the people whose lives depend on the forest".

Ministry of forestry Hadi Daryanto said the Secretary-General TFA meeting, which is scheduled for June 27-29, Indonesia was expected to expand the market to the us, where there are more was demanded for environmentally friendly products.

He said the Ministry expected that the meeting would result in business-to-business (B2B) collaboration and a scheme to "green" bilateral trade.

"We can't stop oil palm or pulp and paper companies to expand their businesses with growing population and requirements. What we can do is balance between economic growth and sustainability and consumer guarantee that we offer green products, "Hadi said.

He said that the us consider ' absence from the Kyoto Protocol, the discussion may be a soft approach to the us to fight against deforestation and reduce carbon emissions, with the super power country probably using buffer Indonesia China's dominance in the region.

The United States rejected the Kyoto Protocol because it didn't do any binding obligations on major developing countries like China not couples — the world number one carbon emitter.

"The meeting may have been a stimulus for us to develop an environmentally-friendly economy and at the same time
provide a larger market for our products, "he said.

Indonesia, which in 2009 committed to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 26 percent by 2020, made various efforts to encourage companies to participate in environmentally sustainable production.

Wood-related companies must be able to obtain legal wood certification (SVLK) since 2010, to ensure that the products were legal.

The Indonesian sustainable palm oil (ISPO) scheme have met about deforestation and the
destruction of carbon-rich peat land, due to the expansion of palm oil plantations.

Indonesia exports of forest-based products reached 1.02 million in the first quarter of this year, with the u.s. is the third largest importer after China and Japan.