VZCZCXRO4950
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1970 3360817
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 020817Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3963
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001970 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FROM AMBASSADOR HUME TO THE SECRETARY 
 
DEPT FOR D-LEW, EAP A/S CAMPBELL, AND S/ECC TODD STERN 
USAID FOR A/A MARGOS ELLIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID KGHG SENV PREL ID
SUBJECT: Climate Change Funds for Southeast Asia Best Spent in 
Indonesia 
 
REF: A) Jakarta 1314, B) Bangkok 2259 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Department should invest limited U.S. funds for climate 
change where potential gains are the greatest.  In Southeast Asia, 
that place is Indonesia.  I urge that the proposed Asia Regional 
Center for Excellence on Climate Change (ARC) be put in Indonesia. 
 
Political Rationale 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Indonesia, the only Southeast Asian country in the G-20, is 
taking a stronger role in regional and global affairs.  At the 13th 
UN Conference of the Parties in Bali, Yudhoyono sponsored the Bali 
Road Map to move discussions forward.  He also brought together six 
neighboring nations to launch the Coral Triangle Initiative to 
protect the biodiversity and food sources in those critical waters. 
In May 2009, he hosted the World Oceans Conference, where you sent a 
well-received video address, to bring oceans into the climate 
debate.  Yudhoyono advanced current global negotiations on climate 
when he declared at the Pittsburg G-20 Indonesia's unilateral 
commitment to reduce emissions by 26% below a business-as-usual 
(BAU) scenario by 2020, or by 41% with international assistance. 
Indonesia was the first developing country to break ranks with the 
G-77 in stark contrast to China and India. 
 
Climate Significance 
-------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Indonesia is the world's third largest emitter of 
greenhouse gases.  Its forests and peat lands house the world's 
second highest terrestrial biodiversity and its tropical forest 
coverage ranks only behind Brazil and the Congo.  Indonesia's waters 
host the world's highest marine biodiversity and the potential for 
climate-related adaptation successes, including on food security, 
could be brought to the region and as far as Africa in the future. 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Over the next two decades, this growing Muslim-majority 
population country of 240 million, 41% of ASEAN, will see its energy 
usage and industry expand to where emissions will increase over 
seven fold.  A low-carbon, green growth path is necessary, as much 
as it is for China and India.  There can be no global solution to 
climate change without Indonesia. 
 
Impact for the Region and the 3rd Largest Emitter 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The proposed ARC will have its largest impact, politically 
and practically, on the country where it is located.  During their 
bilateral meeting at APEC, Presidents Obama and Yudhoyono discussed 
Indonesia's importance to the world stage as a participant in G-20, 
a key member of ASEAN, and major player on climate change.  Placing 
the ARC in Indonesia would reinforce POTUS' message regarding 
Indonesia's importance to the region and to global affairs. 
Indonesia's centrality to ASEAN will facilitate regional work on 
climate mitigation, adaptation and energy.  Already, Indonesia 
stands as a locus of peat lands and forests research and policy 
experimentation.  Its waters merit climate science focus and 
adaptation efforts.  Its energy and industry is large enough, yet 
not yet emitting heavily, to apply low carbon growth strategies. 
Lessons learned could be adapted as best practices for other nations 
with significant forests, coastal communities and growing 
industries.  In the process of serving the region, placement of this 
center in Indonesia also will contribute to reducing many more tons 
of greenhouse gases in this third largest emitting country than if 
it were placed elsewhere. 
 
Hume