TERRA.WIRE
Indonesia backs Japan's global emissions plan
TOKYO, May 25 (AFP) May 25, 2007
Indonesia's vice president on Friday welcomed help from developed countries to fight global warming, backing a Japanese proposal to slash global emissions in half by 2050.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday unveiled the initiative to be brought before next month's Group of Eight summit and vowed Tokyo would redirect its foreign aid to help developing countries meet the targets.

"Thank you very much for the prime minister's speech. Of course, Japan's policy is good for us," Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla told an economic forum in Tokyo.

"Let's cooperate. Indonesia is not such a car (driving nation) compared with Japan, China and America. No. But we have one of the largest tropical forests in the world," he said.

The Kyoto Protocol, the landmark treaty mandating cuts of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, expires in 2012.

The United States and Australia have refused to take part in Kyoto, arguing that it is unfair as it makes no demands of emerging economies such as China, which is set soon to outpace the US as the top gas emitter.

Abe on Thursday called for a more flexible framework, with a focus on foreign aid, to encourage all countries to agree to the goal of a 50 percent reduction in emissions by 2050.