Fulfilling Climate Promise

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Young people and environmentalists participate in an environmental change campaign called "Climate Strike" in Jakarta, Friday (20/9/2019). The campaign began with a long march from Cut Meutia Mosque to Jakarta City Hall and ended at Inspiration Park in the National Monument (Monas) area. The campaigners called on the government and society to raise awareness on the impact of climate change.

Indonesia must take concrete steps to contribute to curb rising temperatures for the national interest and to fulfill its international responsibilities.

The Earth\'s surface temperature has increased by an average 0.9 degree Celsius since the end of the 18th century, according to data from NASA. The figure may look small, but its impacts on the Earth are tangible. Global concerns over the impact of carbon emissions as one of the six greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming are very real, especially in developed countries.

The increase in the Earth\'s temperature rise has caused climate change in contributing to rising ocean temperatures to a depth of 700 meters and to shrinking ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, glaciers in various places and sea ice in Antarctica. The shrinking ice at the two poles is causing sea levels to rise. In addition, it has caused more storms, higher rainfall intensity and drier dry seasons in many places around the world.

Agriculture and food supplies have been disrupted, new diseases are emerging and old diseases like dengue fever are spreading because the range of mosquitoes – which are a vector of dengue fever as well as malaria – are expanding due to the warming Earth.

Indonesians who live on the coast have been affected by the increasing sea level. Kompas has produced repeated coverage on houses that have submerged along the Jakarta coastline and the northern coast of Java.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Young people and environmentalists participate in an environmental change campaign called "Climate Strike" in Jakarta, Friday (20/9/2019).

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Monday (23/9/2019) at the Climate Action Summit 2019, which was convened by the United Nations Secretary-General at UN headquarters in New York, that Indonesia was feeling the adverse effects of climate change. The forest and peatland fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan had been exacerbated as an increased effect of climate change.

At the summit, Indonesia reiterated its Paris Agreement commitment to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 29-41 percent with the support of the global community. The steps to realize its commitment includes planting trees on 12 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

The government must fulfill its promise to remain committed to international climate agreements. The world will continue to watch us. Europe’s rejection of our palm oil is reportedly connected to the conversion of our wet tropical forests into oil palm plantations, which does not support the reduction of carbon emissions. The practice of using fire to clear forests and land to develop plantations in Sumatra and Kalimantan only reinforces the image of our lack of environmental commitment.

Whether or not funding is available from the international community, we must develop mechanisms to reforest critical lands and forests that have been deforested through exploitation. We can begin to fulfill our climate commitments by being more serious about preventing forest fires, especially on peatlands. Decisive action is needed against companies that burn peatlands and forests to their top management or owner, if necessary. Do not allow the actions of a few cause the suffering of millions.