POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - In a virtual G20 Environment Ministers Meeting (Sep 16), Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya emphasized, among other things, the importance of budget power as part of the commitment to reducing emissions from the forestry sector.
She also pointed out that the annual state budget for her ministry was around USD300 million each year for land rehabilitation and ecosystem conservation.
When confirmed, Minister Nurbaya said that if added to the annual state budget channeled by the central government to 34 provinces, 416 districts and 98 cities for their forestry and environmental budget, the amount will of course be greater than USD300 million each year.
Indonesia is due to receive USD56 million from the Norwegian government through a results-based payment (RBP) mechanism for lowering emissions from reduced deforestation and forest degradation in 2016-2017.
Indonesia also recently gained approval from the Global Climate Fund (GCF) to receive an RBP of USD103.8 million for bringing down emissions from 2014-2016 by successfully reducing deforestation and forest degradation in that period.
The combined value of these two yet to be received RBPs is still far below the annual state budget spent by the ministry for land rehabilitation and ecosystem conservation.
Nonetheless, Minister Nurbaya said that the two RBPs are a recognition of Indonesia's efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation over the 2014-2017 period.
The two photos below depict the atmosphere of the 2020 G20 Environment Ministers Meeting which was conducted virtually due to the ongoing global pandemic.
Not with blank checks
Referring to the written messages from Minister Nurbaya at the virtual G20 Environment Ministers Meeting, Indonesia has asserted that it does not achieve reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation with blank checks.
The country's budget power amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars per year, which has proven to be critical to Indonesia's success in reducing emissions from the forestry sector.
In other words, Indonesia signs its own checks to finance most of its efforts to achieve these emissions reductions, as a clear part of its own commitment. Indeed, it would not be easy for Indonesia to obtain the two RBPs, from Norway and the GCF, if it did not back itself up with at least USD300 million annually.
Gaining recognition through the RBP scheme for reducing emissions - the results of which are derived from independently-verified mechanisms based on international standards - is far from easy, as Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani pointed out when announcing the RBP approval for Indonesia from the GCF (Aug 27).
As to the term budget power used by Minister Nurbaya in addressing the importance of cashable checks from Indonesia itself to finance most of its own commitments, the country has proven itself capable of doing this to date.
One can only imagine what would happen if Indonesia did not have its own budget power to fulfill its commitments, in this case to finance the majority of its efforts to reduce emissions from the forestry sector.
It is very clear that Indonesia is not empty-handed without budget power when it comes to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. In fact, Indonesia would not be able to get the two RBPs from Norway and the GCF if it did not have its own budget power which is spent every day.
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POLICY
JAKARTA (FORESTHINTS.NEWS) - In a virtual G20 Environment Ministers Meeting (Sep 16), Indonesian Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya emphasized, among other things, the importance of budget power as part of the commitment to reducing emissions from the forestry sector.
She also pointed out that the annual state budget for her ministry was around USD300 million each year for land rehabilitation and ecosystem conservation.
When confirmed, Minister Nurbaya said that if added to the annual state budget channeled by the central government to 34 provinces, 416 districts and 98 cities for their forestry and environmental budget, the amount will of course be greater than USD300 million each year.
Indonesia is due to receive USD56 million from the Norwegian government through a results-based payment (RBP) mechanism for lowering emissions from reduced deforestation and forest degradation in 2016-2017.
Indonesia also recently gained approval from the Global Climate Fund (GCF) to receive an RBP of USD103.8 million for bringing down emissions from 2014-2016 by successfully reducing deforestation and forest degradation in that period.
The combined value of these two yet to be received RBPs is still far below the annual state budget spent by the ministry for land rehabilitation and ecosystem conservation.
Nonetheless, Minister Nurbaya said that the two RBPs are a recognition of Indonesia's efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation over the 2014-2017 period.
The two photos below depict the atmosphere of the 2020 G20 Environment Ministers Meeting which was conducted virtually due to the ongoing global pandemic.
Not with blank checks
Referring to the written messages from Minister Nurbaya at the virtual G20 Environment Ministers Meeting, Indonesia has asserted that it does not achieve reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation with blank checks.
The country's budget power amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars per year, which has proven to be critical to Indonesia's success in reducing emissions from the forestry sector.
In other words, Indonesia signs its own checks to finance most of its efforts to achieve these emissions reductions, as a clear part of its own commitment. Indeed, it would not be easy for Indonesia to obtain the two RBPs, from Norway and the GCF, if it did not back itself up with at least USD300 million annually.
Gaining recognition through the RBP scheme for reducing emissions - the results of which are derived from independently-verified mechanisms based on international standards - is far from easy, as Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani pointed out when announcing the RBP approval for Indonesia from the GCF (Aug 27).
As to the term budget power used by Minister Nurbaya in addressing the importance of cashable checks from Indonesia itself to finance most of its own commitments, the country has proven itself capable of doing this to date.
One can only imagine what would happen if Indonesia did not have its own budget power to fulfill its commitments, in this case to finance the majority of its efforts to reduce emissions from the forestry sector.
It is very clear that Indonesia is not empty-handed without budget power when it comes to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. In fact, Indonesia would not be able to get the two RBPs from Norway and the GCF if it did not have its own budget power which is spent every day.
RELATED STORIES
