A greener Indonesia is the only way, say activists

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 11/05/2007 5:05 PM

Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Take your own bags to the supermarket, help reduce landfill sites and pressure big businesses to make small changes -- that's the latest message from environmentalists in Indonesia.

Indonesia's negotiation head for the forthcoming Bali climate change conference Emil Salim and WWF Indonesia's climate change coordinator Fitriansah said the public needed to take the lead in promoting a greener lifestyle.

""Taking your own bags to supermarkets is a small example of green style, but it will be powerful to pressure retailers to reduce plastic bags,"" Emil said.

He said most plastic packaging ended up in landfill sites, which later produced greenhouse methane gas, a contributor to global warming.

Much of Indonesia's business community continued to use plastic packaging for their products without thought for their environment, Emil said.

""The retailers, for example, can join campaigns to sell products using recycled packaging,"" he said.

Emil was the country's environmental minister for 15 years and criticized the current government for its lack of concern for climate change issues.

""If the government wants to create clean air for its citizens, why should they build more turnpike facilities in the country?"" he said.

He said the new Jakarta-Bandung turnpike, for example, had upped air pollution levels by 100 percent in Bandung, West Java, although he did not elaborate or provide supporting data.

""If the government wants to prevent (further) risks of climate change from the transportation sectors, it must (make public transportation) a priority,"" Emil said.

Emil asked the public to commute by train or other public transportation and to push the government to change its environmental and public transport policies.

Fitriansah said, ""The government needs to issue policies requiring consumer goods producers to use only recyclable packaging on their products"".

""But, the retailers also need to give incentives for consumers who bring their own bags to supermarkets.""

He said big business and supermarkets in developed countries had long been under pressure from green campaigners to reduce the use of plastic.

The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said emissions from fossil fuels and methane from waste were among the main contributors to the climate change.

Indonesia is set to host the next international climate change conference in Bali from December 3 to December 14.

The meeting would discuss future commitments around reducing carbon emissions post 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires.

Greenpeace campaigner Nur Hidayati said the Indonesian government needed to explain the Kyoto Protocol to the public to help raise general awareness on how to deal with climate change.

""Though Indonesia has ratified the protocol, no systematic effort has been made to introduce it to (the public),"" Nur told Antara.

She said the public's understanding of the Kyoto Protocol was crucial because people needed to know how to avoid negative impacts of climate change.

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