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Written by Firdaus Cahyadi  - Translated by Stephanie A. Surya

Civil Society Forum (CSF) organizes a media briefing (15/11). This coalition of civil societies encourages journalists to address Climate Justice on the occasion of upcoming COP 13 in Bali.

Notes from the Media Briefing

YTKI, November 15, 2007, 09.30 – 12.00

-    Opened by Rini Nasution (One World Indonesia) is explaining the importance of Climate Justice’s four aspects
-    Anwari is introducing (soft launching) CSO Forum website. Information available in the website includes the background of Civil Society Forum (CSF), people’s opinion regarding global warming phenomenon, and its videos (people’s opinion). The soft launching of this website is aimed for obtaining suggestion and input from media (people). Information in this website can be quoted without CSF consent.

1st Session

Moderator:     Adrianto Jakarta Post
Speaker:       Tejo WJ (SBIB), Yaya (GreenPeace), Torry (WALHI), Munaroh (Masyarakat Adat)

Adrianto (A): in Bogor Ministerial Meeting, CSF asked developing / poor countries to eliminate debt because debt is just going to enforce nature exploitation.

Tejo (Tj): Just to introduce more profound substance… Media, in general, have discussed Climate Change (CC) comprehensively, and have portrayed CC as a phenomenon we all need to deal with, what are the cause, and the impacts. Nevertheless, media have not discussed the root of the problem. As a matter of fact, there are two causes of Climate Change:

1.    Climate Change was caused by development concept’s failure, which is lavish and disregard environment’s capacity
2.    There is an injustice in Climate Change phenomenon

CSF notices four important issues regarding climate change:
   
1.    Human Security (related to security and safety of local society)
2.    Production and Consumption. Developed countries do not have to reduce its over-consumption but developing countries need to reduce their consumption.
3.    Debt problem, which can enhance nature exploitation
4.    Land use; ownership and land authorization problem caused by Carbon Trade. Al Gore has been considered as an environmental hero by the media, although he is one of the initiator of Carbon Trade.

Media have not address climate change as one of the impacts of development’s failures.

Torry (Tr): Global development failed to bring poor people into a better condition. There is a wrong consumption pattern so poor people seems to be the most responsible one. Thus they have to lower their kerosene and electricity consumption although they never have an over-consumption.
There is a gap in Indonesia’s development. For example: electricity in Senayan City Mall could light an entire village. At this moment, Indonesia’s condition is back to the condition in 1965 when people are queuing for kerosene so they could eat.

Developed countries do not want to reduce their consumption, but they are willing to participate in other way:
1.    How technology can solve climate change
2.    How they sympathy poor countries by either buying their emission rights or carbon trade

Carbon Trade creates how one group can keep producing emission while another group have to lower their emission

If earth’s temperature has another 1-2 C increase, the forest would be burned down by itself.

Yaya (Y): (showing a video on Climate Change made by GreenPeace, Oxfam Hk, Nastari, IPB. This video shows climate change response from vulnerable areas, like farmer in Pantura area and fisherman in Cirebon and Cilacap area)

Climate Change’s impacts on areas in the north of equator are different with areas in the south of equator. In the north of equator, the impact tends to be wet. There would be massive floods and landslides. Whereas the impact on the south of equator tends to be drier. It’s even worse in the farming area located in the south of equator. Rain-reservoir fields suffers drought. At this moment, when the government is pursuing vague projects, vulnerable community has experienced the impact of CC. While there is frenzy on COP, we should do whatever it needs to be done to solve CC.

Munaroh (M): Agrarian depends on nature and they can make nature adapt with them. Indigenous community incredibly depends on the forest, but they also have the law to comply with to preserve the forest. Indigenous community never damage the nature because of the local wisdom they believe. For example, In Kampung Dukuh, there are Daerah Larangan (in Eng: forbidden area) that should not be entered (by people); Tanah Tutupan (in Eng: closed land) that is closed for public, and Tanah Titipan (in Eng: entrusted land), which is entrusted from the ancestor. The concept they have is to bond with the nature as a part of their own life. For example, Waduk Istiqo can save water during rainy season so they (the people) would not suffer drought in the dry season.

Q & A Session 1

1.    Tri Bisnis Indonesia >> what agenda should be addressed by the government regarding climate change? (Can be said in a Joint Statement)
2.    Marwan Green Press>> what mechanism is going to be offered in COP? REDD? or other? What kind of interest will be offered? Since, at this moment, there is a gap between NGO and government. What strategy will be used in order to make developed countries listen to developing countries?
3.    GreenPress have a website on environment; can it be consolidated with CSO Forum website?

Answers

To:  This media briefing is to bring up an issue, not a Press Statement. What can be seen at this moment is the government try to be a host who have leadership, by letting them discussing without any demand from Indonesian government. The leadership that the government supposed to have is to make own stance, which is land conversion moratorium.  

The agenda, which the government can take, concern on justice (discussing the debt of the developing countries since it makes people poor. For example, LoI that requires developing countries to pay their debt by exploiting its forestry sector. As is proper, in Bali, the government should urge developed countries to decrease emission, not merely trading forest. If there is a spare in the budget, do debt restructuring. Do not directly export the oil. Prioritise the domestic needs first.  Build good governance.

Te: Indonesian leadership is the key of COP. The government must provide safety for its citizen. CSO Forum, together, are trying to encourage UNFCCC to adopt the climate justice, not merely carbon trading because (we do not want to create a perception that) the most important thing is to have money, which then enable us to buy emission rights.

A: As far as I know, Indonesia has not formed its delegation team. So far, there is only the head of delegation team, which is Mr Emil Salim.

To: It is very important for Indonesia to have delegation. The government need to have Safe Guarding Policies regarding Climate Change. World Bank, who initiates to be environmental hero has offered several programmes, which proved to be failed in handling the Climate Change, for example by using dam and coal.

Y: Actually, the important thing is after December (refer to COP 13 event), not the December. Thus, we need to anticipate the scheme because Indonesia might be (merely) an exploitation source for developed countries.

Q & A Session 2

1. Clara from Media Indonesia >> what kind of solution is going to be offered in the COP 13 in Bali for counter mechanism?

2. A: To make it fair, what (it) should be?

Answers

To: Bali is not the only battlefield because everything is already arranged and what’s left is just “knock knock knock” (symbolize the decision has been made). The government must have long-term and short-term programs. Trading and environment should be integrated.

Te: Bali is just a spot.  The government should not only be a host without addressing certain message.

Y: Fair is, minimally, Annex I countries fulfilled their commitment in the year 2008 – 2012. And for the 2nd commitment (post 2012), there should be a significant decrease of Annex I emissions. There should be an effort to incorporate Australia and America into Kyoto Protocol.

To: Although (they) followed the policies, (they) keep responsible for the emission they produced.

Te: Indonesia could be regarded as “Pancasila” (country’s philosophy), but still, Indonesia is also a capitalist country. Kyoto Protocol could be ratified because of the money factor in CDM. An issue/ problem in Indonesia always connect to money. There is always an option between mutual interest and money. “Could money solve mutual interests?”

Participants:
1.    Andra, TEMPO Newspaper
2.    Ning Purnomohadi, KLH-Widyaswara
3.    Iwan, Investor Daily
4.    Kurniawan, Voice of Human Right
5.    Irena, Daai TV
6.    Imelda, Reader’s Digest Indonesia
7.    haryo Setyoko, Tarbawi Magazine
8.    Ibu Yati, Radio Komunitas Suara Warga Jakarta (SWJ)
9.    Errika, JakTV
10.    Ferbriamy, Forbes Asia
11.    Ignas, Suara Pembaruan
12.    Kurniawati, Psikologi UI
13.    Ano Tejo, AstroTv
14.    Try D, Bisnis Indonesia
15.    Adianto, The Jakarta Post
16.    Marwan Azis, Greenpress
17.    Ujang, Kantor Berita Antara (Antara News Station)
18.    Meistro, Media Bebas
19.    Anddini, MetroTv
20.    Bram, RCTI
21.    Rendra, Koran Sindo
22.    Clara, Media Indonesia
23.    Monique, KBR 68H
24.    Didik Suyiti, Indopos

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