Nearing COP26 Climate Change Conference, Walhi Deems Carbon Trading as a Ruse

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) opposes the discourse on carbon trading and carbon offsets, which will be discussed at the COP26 climate change conference, which will be held on November 1 and 2, 2021 in Glasgow. WALHI deems this to be just an excuse from big countries to evade bigger responsibilities.

"We think that the offset mechanism and carbon trading will actually lead to further injustice, in the context of negotiations and agreements on climate change," said Walhi's Climate Justice Campaign Manager, Yuyun Harmono, in an online discussion, Sunday, October 31, 2021.

Yuyun said that the offset mechanism and carbon trading divert attention from actual efforts to demand responsibility from developed countries, so that they can reduce emissions drastically in their own country.

It also shifts the responsibility of developed countries to provide funding for developing countries, to transform developing countries' economies so that they do not replicate the high-carbon economic capital of developed countries.

"So the direction towards low-carbon development must also be encouraged by providing concrete funding," said Yuyun. This is in accordance with the mandate of the Paris Agreement.

Until now, Yuyun said there was no good will from developed countries to seriously discuss this. The commitment to provide US$ 100 billion from 23 developed countries has never been achieved. The latest report states that only 80 percent of this has been fulfilled and that most of it is used to finance project activities based on mitigation.

"This means that climate change adaptation is neglected. Unfortunately, most of it is given in the form of debt, not in the form of grants. This means that it is not international cooperation, but an attempt to trap developing countries in the debt mechanism," said Yuyun.

Whereas so far, Yuyun explained, that the burdening factor for developing countries to transform their economy is the debt burden that must be paid. This has never been seriously discussed in the consideration of developed countries in developing their international cooperation. "The mechanism for carbon trading and offsets is becoming a gap in the efforts to reduce emissions more drastically and quickly," said Yuyun.

Read: COP26; Jokowi Reasserts Indonesia's Commitment About Climate Change

EGI ADYATAMA