With this in mind, I am convinced that our gathering today is pertinent. As the theme makes it clear, we do need “Sustainable landscapes for green growth in Southeast Asia”. History has recorded sad stories of environmental destructions from excessive exploitations of natural resources. Even some island countries have lost a part of their territories due to unsustainable mining practices.
We must be mindful that in the rush to develop and to quickly reduce poverty, we often give fewer considerations on sustainable development. It is no coincidence that in the drive for industrializations, countries produced greenhouse gas emissions at a higher rate.
Even today, according to the recent Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), emissions of greenhouse gases are continuing to rise to an unprecedented level. The report also underlines that the world has not done sufficient efforts to curb emissions. In a broader context, we already see the adverse impact of climate change on our life. From the killer heat waves in Europe, wildfires in Australia, deadly floods in Pakistan, to fatal typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
In the case of Indonesia, more than two-thirds of the country’s GHG emissions come from deforestation, peat land fires and degradation. And therefore, our commitment to fight deforestation and peat degradation is our significant contribution to the global efforts in mitigating climate change.
Forests protect us against climate change. Indonesia has the world’s second-longest expanse of mangroves, and the largest area of tropical peat land that store enormous amounts of carbon. Keeping them intact is essential for averting the worst impact of climate change. But Indonesia cannot do it alone.
This is also the reason why Indonesia seeks international support, including to ensure that we only trade certified forest products.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Within the next fifteen years, the population of ASEAN member countries is projected to increase by 84 million people. This means that there will be more demands for housings, transportations, and of course foods, and energy. If left unchecked, this will put more pressure on the environment.
I believe, the citizens of ASEAN do not wish to follow that self-destructing path of development. Therefore, I also call upon governments in Southeast Asia to continue developing a regional strategy. A strategy to increase their adaptive capacity and to promote a low-carbon economy.
I also urge businesses across the ASEAN region to commit to sustainable land-use and investment practices. This is the same call that I made three years ago to Indonesian business leaders. At that time, I urged them to partner with the government in enhancing environmental sustain-ability.
I call on the citizens, civil society organi-zations, research centers, think-tanks and academia to strengthen and develop their partnership. A partnership to achieve a more sustainable forests management practices.
