REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The government will strengthen a commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emission in accordance with the Letter of Intent (LOI) signed with the Norwegian government five years ago.

"Indonesia wants to reassure that it is very serious in implementing the Letter of Intent. I just explained that to the vice president," Chairman of the Climate Change Control Team Rachmat Witoelar said here, Friday, March 6.

He said Vice President M Jusuf Kalla was very enthusiastic about meeting the target of gas emission reduction in line with the agreement. The government plans to declare a renewal of its commitment during the visit of Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg to Indonesia next week.

"Norway has complained that we are late in achieving the target of the gas emission reduction, therefore we will speed it up. And we will also launch cooperation coinciding with the visit of the Norwegian Prime Minister on March 14," he noted.

To help preserve Indonesian forests and tackle the impacts of climate change, Norway has pledged to provide Indonesia with US$1 billion in funding for the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) activities.

In line with the letter of intent (LOI), or the Oslo Accord, signed by Norway and Indonesia in 2010, the government imposed a moratorium on deforestation in 2011. However, of the promised 1 billion USD, the Indonesian government has so far received 30 million USD only, because it has not met the target.

"It's very small, only 30 million USD. Therefore, we will strengthen the LOI implementation," Witoelar said.

REDD+ is an attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation - estimated at up to 20 percent of the global total, by offering incentives.

Indonesia has the world's third largest cover of tropical forests, after Brazil and Congo, and the largest area under tropical peatlands that store enormous amounts of carbon.

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