A MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR plan to protect forests and reduce global warming is to be backed by an alliance of nations that are home to more than 80 per cent of the world's tropical rainforests.
The grouping of up to 20 countries will be announced during United Nations talks on climate change in New York on Monday, following a meeting chaired by Indonesia's President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The alliance will claim negotiations on a post-Kyoto protocol are not adequately addressing deforestation, which contributes up to a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. It is expected to call for billions of dollars of funding to be allocated to nations that preserve forests.
The alliance is expanding rapidly. A month ago, eight countries were to participate. The number has now risen to 12 and another eight countries have requested invitations, Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirayuda, said.
Critically, the alliance includes Brazil and Indonesia, which are the world's fourth and third largest greenhouse gas emitters once deforestation is taken into account. Other members are Costa Rica, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Peru.
With Indonesia hosting the pivotal UN meeting in December to determine a new formula to combat global warming, Dr Yudhoyono is in a unique position to shape the debate.
Indonesia's UN representative said Dr Yudhoyono's trip to New York demonstrated his personal commitment to the issue.
As well as heading the meeting of rainforest nations, Dr Yudhoyono will attend a leaders' global warming summit called by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and a UN General Assembly session on climate change.
Indonesia's Environment Minister, Rachmat Witoelar, said the rainforest nations would commit to sustainable forest management and develop an action plan at the New York meeting. The alliance aimed to increase the bargaining position of rainforest nations at the December negotiations in Bali, to shape the successor to the Kyoto protocol, he said.
In an effort to swing attention away from reducing industrial carbon emissions, Mr Witoelar said tropical forest management had to become part of the post-Kyoto agenda.
The concept of "avoided deforestation" must be recognised and rewarded, he said. Essentially, countries with tropical forests are asking to be compensated for not logging them, probably with "carbon credits". Under the Kyoto protocol, a carbon credits scheme of financial incentives excludes forest protection. Only replanting is eligible for assistance.
Indonesia's Forestry Minister, Malam Kaban, speaking from Beijing, said Indonesia could sell 14 million cubic metres of logs a year, but was selling only 9 million to promote sustainability. "Who pays? We are saving the forest but taking an economic loss," Mr Kaban said. "The demand is there, so there is no reason not to cut."
A recent World Bank report is highly critical of continued logging in Indonesia, estimating that more than 2 million hectares are lost to illegal logging and forest fires each year.The Sydney Morning Herald
