Aim

The Tracking and Strengthening Climate Action (TASCA) initiatives aims to contribute to more effective implementation and design of climate policies, more ambitious future NDCs, the development of effective domestic transparency systems and practices, the design of international transparency guidelines, and ultimately reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.

Where

West Papua province, Indonesia

Why

Indonesia joined a global wave of countries that submitted their post 2020 climate pledges to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), namely Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). Post Paris Agreement ratification, in 2016, countries submitted their first nationally determined contribution (NDC), reiterating its commitment to a low carbon, climate resilient future. The achievement of Indonesia’s mitigation targets- along with those of over 190 other countries- will determine whether the increase in global average temperature will be held below 2 degrees Celsius, and limited even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above preindustrial levels, as proposed in the Paris Agreement.

In 2020, the UNFCCC invites countries communicate their updated NDC as well as their long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies. Likewise, Indonesia needs to submit its next round of NDC by 2020, and this document needs to be more ambitious than Indonesia’s current NDC target. In 2015, Indonesia has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29 percent to up to 41 percent below a 2030 business-as-usual scenario, as stated in its Nationally Determined Contribution. This commitment, however, is only valid until 2030. This means Indonesia has to be able to communicate how it plans to update and enhance its climate targets within the next two years, ensuring a science-based target that is best suited for Indonesia’s condition.

Efforts to achieve targets in reducing GHG emissions cannot be done by only the Indonesian government. Indonesia’s target to reduce GHG emissions in the year 2030 will not be achieved only by government programs and actions. This also will not be achieved only using a national budget. Non-state actors, both private sectors and local government, have to play a significant role in Indonesia’s efforts to fulfill the first NDC under the Paris Agreement.

However, the current NDC is not ambitious enough to help limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above preindustrial levels. To address the global climate change challenge, the world, including Indonesia needs more ambitious and collective actions.

This initiative provides instruments and resources to track the implementation and impact of the country’s NDCs and underlying policies. It also identifies further mitigation opportunities to curb emissions, enabling them to take on more ambitious climate commitments in the future. This will provide the country with the confidence to enhance and update its NDCs.

Why West Papua

Having a forest area of more than 90% of the total area, the province of West Papua is often referred to as the last bastion of Indonesia's tropical forests. However, the incoming investments and national development projects could drive a large conversion of forests. The clearing of this forest land could potentially release 1.3-1.9 GtCO2 into the atmosphere, where if it happens, Indonesia will most likely not be able to meet the NDC target to reduce the national emissions target by 2030 (WRI Indonesia, 2018).

The government of West Papua Province has also shown a commitment to sustainable development through the 2018 Manokwari Declaration. West Papua is also among the 7 Low Carbon Development Initiative pilot projects. These developments open a window of opportunity to determine priorities and policy directions that are aligned with a vision of green development that is appropriate for the Province of West Papua.

How

In Indonesia, we work with the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) to assist its Low Carbon Development Indonesia (LCDI) initiative, identifying key low-carbon policies for the next medium-term national development plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024:

  • Support to enhance the BAPPENAS Indonesia Vision 2045 model
  • Spatial analysis modeling and thematic policy scenarios to support transparency and contribute to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) report
  • Develop Climate Watch Indonesia, an online data platform to track national and provincial emissions, socioeconomic and environmental impacts and development plan synergies

In West Papua province, we work with the Center of Environmental Study (Pusat Penelitian Lingkungan Hidup) Universitas Papua (UNIPA) to:

  • Provide capacity building on system thinking
  • Prepare the development of local level LCD development planning
  • Build provincial level modeling for NDC contributions

Partner

This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.