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Viewing cable 07JAKARTA1744, INDONESIA - ENVIRONMENTAL MEETING WITH EMIL SALIM

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07JAKARTA1744 2007-06-25 09:08 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Jakarta
VZCZCXRO4698
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1744 1760908
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250908Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5212
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0559
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4131
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0848
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4081
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
UNCLAS JAKARTA 001744 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR OES/EGC AND EAP/MTS 
COMMERCE FOR NOAA/INTERNATIONAL 
USDOE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND FOSSIL ENERGY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KGHG SENV ENRG ID
 
SUBJECT: INDONESIA - ENVIRONMENTAL MEETING WITH EMIL SALIM 
 
REF: STATE 75287 
 
1. (SBU) Summary:  During a candid meeting on June 21 with Charge, 
Dr. Emil Salim, environmental advisor to Indonesian President 
Yudhoyono, welcomed President Bush's attention to climate change, 
but criticized its "overemphasis on the clean energy sector and 
failure to provide incentives for safeguarding natural resources, 
especially forests."  He challenged the United States to clarify the 
implications and obligations for countries invited to the November 
planning meeting of the 15 highest carbon emitting countries.  Salim 
confided that President Yudhoyono had asked him to be the Indonesian 
Special Envoy to the United Nations (UN) Conference of Parties 13 
(COP 13) in Bali December 3-14.  On a more conciliatory note, he 
asked the Charge for his help in making the conference a success. 
Charge urged that the Indonesian chair of this conference seek 
concrete "win-win" conclusions. End Summary. 
 
More Attention to Natural Resources 
----------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Per instructions in reftel A, we invited Emil Salim, 
Indonesia's leading environmentalist to share his views on 
President's Bush Climate Change initiative.  Salim serves as an 
environmental adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), 
was State Minister for Population and Environment from 1978 to 1993 
and is currently Indonesia's leading expert on sustainable 
development and environmental preservation. 
 
3. (SBU) Meeting with the Charge on June 21, Salim wasted no time 
launching into his views on the shortcomings of the Bush Climate 
Change speech.  Salim noted that developing countries will attribute 
ulterior motives to the Bush initiative, such as attempting to sell 
new energy efficient technologies in order recapture the sizeable 
research and development costs.  Charge pushed back, but Salim 
charged ahead to his second main point. Salim emphasized that 
developing countries will focus on the speech with its overemphasis 
on energy technology and lack of attention to safeguarding the 
environment. "Why doesn't the speech mention forests?" 
 
4. (SBU) According to Salim, the President's initiative only 
addresses the problem of carbon supply via mechanisms to reduce 
emissions.  Salim suggested that if the U.S. were serious about 
climate change, it would also focus on greater carbon absorption, 
for example a program to reward communities for preserving forests 
or peat swamps for greater carbon capture.  Indonesia forests and 
peat swamps face pressures from impoverished populations.  Farmers 
and villagers need alternative means to support their families and 
cannot maintain rainforests only for the sake of environmentalism. 
Without some sort of compensation, the climate change problem will 
only intensify as countries like Indonesia sacrifice their natural 
resources in order to support the population.  Salim noted that peat 
swamps are even more critical than the forests, absorbing 100 times 
the level of carbon. 
 
Meeting of Large Emitters 
------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Salim noted that Indonesia needs more information before 
deciding to participate in the U.S. proposed meeting of the largest 
carbon emitters.  Specifically, Salim would like to know the 
implications (incentives and obligations) for participation. 
 
COP-13: "Success or Failure is In Your Hands" 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) Ending the meeting on a conciliatory note, Salim confided 
that President Yudhoyono had recently invited him to be the 
Indonesian Special Envoy to COP-13.  Until President SBY makes the 
official announcement, Salim plans to quietly prepare for his role. 
Salim requested the Charge's help in making the conference a 
success.  He requested the Charge's help in making any intended role 
or agenda transparent.  Salim noted that he also worried about OPEC 
and its disincentives with energy alternatives, but it was the US 
role that was his greatest worry. "The US can make or break the 
conference," he told the Charge. "Will you help me?"  Charge urged 
that the Indonesian chair of this conference seek concrete "win-win" 
conclusions. 
 
HEFFERN