Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Jakarta administration's hopes of reaping revenue from carbon trading have suffered a setback as the United Nations does not recognize stove projects that use timber under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
"If the UN Executive Board has not developed a methodology that makes it possible for the stove project to get credit by reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the city administration cannot register it as a CDM activity, Prasetyadi Utomo, the secretary of the Designated National Authority (DNA), told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
The DNA, set up by the government, is tasked with approving CDM projects before they are submitted to the UN board.
The board then decides whether the projects are eligible.
Officials from the DNA and the City Environmental Management Agency (BPLHD) on Thursday met to discuss CDM issues, including the planned stove project.
The administration said it would host the country's first CDM project by distributing eco-friendly stoves to kerosene-reliant households and food vendors later this year.
The stoves would be provided by the German-based EnerXI Gmbh.
In return, stove recipients would be required to plant two trees at any location. They would cut branches and twigs from the trees, but allow them to grow back, which would provide them with a source of renewable fuel.
Prasetyadi said it was feared the recipients might not allow the branches to grow back or would cut down the trees.
"The idea of requiring them to plant trees makes sense but who will guarantee that only twigs and branches are used as raw materials. Cutting down trees means releasing greenhouse gas emissions, which is against the CDM program," he said.
The CDM is the only mechanism provided under the Kyoto Protocol that allows developing countries to take part in greenhouse gas mitigation projects.
The host of the project will receive a Certificate of Emission Reduction (CER) from the UN board based on the tons of emission reduction that can be traded to rich nations.
A ton of CO2 reduction is currently priced at between US$5-10.
Prasetyadi said the DNA had asked the administration to present an alternative project related to either the busway or compressed natural gas (CNG)-fuel bajaj, or the sanitary landfill in Bantar Gebang, Bekasi.
Jakarta dumps over 6,000 tons of garbage every day in the landfill in Bantar Gebang.
"Projects related to the busway, bajaj or landfill are more suitable for promotion as CDM activities. The UN Executive Board has issued methodologies for such projects," he said.
The fuels that are permitted under the projects are unblended gasoline, diesel, liquefied natural gas (LPG) and CNG.
Seven of the 15 planned busway corridors are now operating. Most of the buses on the routes run on CNG.
The administration has pledged to replace 14,600 diesel-powered bajaj with eco-friendly ones.
There are currently 250 units of CNG-fueled bajaj in the capital.
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