Reports from Forests Indonesia Conference
In this special CIFOR News Update, we bring you highlights from the Forests Indonesia Conference, which CIFOR hosted on 27 September in Jakarta. Opened by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who vowed to keep forests at the top of the agenda, the conference brought together around 1,000 representatives from leading business groups, NGOs, development agencies and government ministries to discuss the future of Indonesia's forests.
For more coverage from the event, visit our Forests Indonesia special blog feature.
Read a commemorative conference booklet from the President’s Office entitled Development and Forests Management Must be Balanced for Future Generations
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 Indonesia's President has vowed to dedicate the last three years of his administration to safeguarding his nation's rainforests - a pledge that received broad support at a major conference in Jakarta. "Our success in managing our forests will determine our future and the opportunities that will be available to our children," he said.
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 President Yudhoyono issued a decree with a national action plan to reduce greenhouses gas emissions, a goal that can only be achieved by safeguarding the country's forests. The action plan will guide local governments and businesses on how to plan and implement low carbon activities in the areas of agriculture, forestry and peatland, energy and transportation, industry, and waste management.
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 To achieve the low-carbon future envisioned by REDD+, local communities must reap the economic benefits of safeguarding Indonesia's forests, said REDD+ Task Force Chairman Kuntoro Mangkusubroto. If REDD+ succeeds in creating a green economy that improves livelihoods for forest-dependent local communities, it could be a "pivotal steppingstone" in achieving development targets.
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 Indonesia's President called on leading industries to support international and national efforts to reduce deforestation through the sustainable management of its forest. A sustainable development strategy, he said, would not be possible without "bold initiatives" from leading business and forestry experts, especially in the development of new energy sources, agricultural production and REDD+ initiatives.
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 Norway's Minister for the Environment and International Development, Erik Solheim, praised Indonesia's commitment to the fight against climate change. "The president has issued an overall policy about how Indonesia will combat climate change...what he has done today is a very positive step in making Indonesia a world leader in the fight against climate change."
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 Indonesia's President called sustainable forests part of his plan for putting Indonesia's economy in the global top 12 by 2025. President Yudhoyono said recent initiatives implemented as part of the US$1 billion bilateral agreement with Norway "provide an opportunity to develop a new sector in our economy—through ecosystem restoration concessions for carbon sequestration and emission reduction."
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 Indonesian business leaders have urged the government to clarify guidelines for private sector involvement in REDD+, signalling their readiness to engage in the climate change initiative to protect the nation's forests and cut carbon emissions. "The private sector finds it very difficult to assess the feasibility of REDD+ projects and how to make them implementable," said Shinta Kamdani, Vice Chair on Environment and Climate Change at the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce (KADIN)."We need a clear value proposition that businesses can move forward," she said.
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 Indonesia can achieve major economic growth through expansion of its timber and palm oil industries while employing the carbon emission reduction mechanism REDD+, said Andrew Steer, Special Envoy for Climate Change at the World Bank. "Implementing REDD will help move Indonesia toward more intensive land use, better forest management practices, more efficiency and long term economic gains," he said.
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 Erik Solheim, Norwegian Minister for the Environment, reassured leaders in the Indonesian paper, pulp and palm oil industries that the conservation of forests would lead to greater business opportunities, and that countries like Brazil were proof of its success. "Can Indonesia conserve the forest and continue with 6 to 7 percent economic growth? The answer is yes... Brazil has shown that you can reduce deforestation, drive business and investment, while at the same time embarking on schemes to reduce poverty," he said.
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