THE global effort to save the planet is reaching momentum as support grows for reaching a new consensus on climate change mitigation, the negotiations for which officially began here at Nusantara. From 3 until 14 December 2007 held in Bali, Indonesia, more than 10,000 people, including ministers and senior officials from more than 180 countries, are gathered in “Nusa Dua” to address climate change. They are seeking a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, which expires in 2012. The Conference, hosted by the Government of Indonesia, brings together representatives of over 180 countries together with observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the media. The two week period includes the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, its subsidiary bodies as well as the Meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol. A ministerial segment in the second week will conclude the Conference.
Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change say that this year, 2007, could well be termed an incredible year for climate change. It started with the EU adopting a 20% or 30% reduction target for 2020, depending on action by others; It continued with major developing countries like China adopting national climate change strategies; In 2007 all major summits adopted policy positions on climate change, starting with the G-8 and including APEC, ASEAN, and the Commonwealth; In 2007 the United States launched meetings of the major economies aimed at contributing, by the end of 2008, to the UNFCCC process; Above all, 2007 was the year of the IPCC, whose Fourth Assessment Report was applauded at every stage of finalization and crowned by the Nobel Peace Price; 2007 culminated in a call from more than 80 heads of state or government at the high-level event of the Secretary-General, for a breakthrough in Bali.
The 1997 Kyoto accord required industrialized nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- which are generally thought to be responsible for global warming -- by specific amounts by the year 2012. Indonesian Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar says he expects that the Bali meeting will achieve more comprehensive results than Kyoto.
Brother of Rachmat –Indonesian journalist Wimar Witoelar- wrote that The Bali meeting should address poverty issues”.
He is hoping for serendipity to direct the Bali results to a more immediate human problem in Indonesia, which is poverty. In a talk show held on Nov. 27 by the UNDP to launch the 2007/2008 Human Development Report, the main speaker, Haakan Bjorkman, the UNDP's Indonesia country director, highlighted the poverty implications of this year's annual report, Fighting Climate Change: Human solidarity in a divided world
His point was that Indonesia's poor will be most affected by climate change, the United Nations Development Programme said in an auxiliary report titled The Other Half of Climate Change. This report looks at the impact of climate change on the poor in Indonesia as well as efforts to adapt to the global weather phenomenon.
In the report, it says that Indonesia will face changes in seasons and rainfall, more extreme weather events, rises in sea levels of between 9 and 100 centimeters, warmer oceans and higher temperatures due to global warming. Bjorkman said the impact of climate change was discriminatory. "Poor people are more vulnerable. They have fewer resources or capacities to adapt to climate change," Bjorkman said.
"Farmers, fishermen and urban slum dwellers are living on the most marginal land that is vulnerable to droughts, floods or landslides. When disaster strikes, poor communities have very few resources to fall back on," Bjorkman said. "The impact of climate change will be felt the strongest among poor people. Climate change sabotages Indonesia's fight against poverty."
On The Jakarta Post (December 4th 2007) Indonesia's state minister for the environment, Rachmat Witoelar, took over the leadership of the UN forum debating future strategies from Kenyan Environment and Natural Resources Minister David Mwiraria, giving the host country an opportunity to play a role in the crucial talks.
The optimistic mood was further buoyed by the announcement from the Australian delegation that it would soon ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Australia's change of heart followed the Labor Party's win in recent elections, and newly installed Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to join the 12-day talks next week.
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