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Australia eyes Indonesian carbon projects |
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Indonesia has the potential to draw investments from Australia in the clean energy and environment sector under the Rudd government's carbon cluster initiative targeting Southeast Asian nations and India.
A trade mission of 25 Australian companies interested in a supply chain of carbon projects will visit Asean in early March in the first of its clean development mechanism (CDM) missions.
The mission is a first step in getting Australian projects established in Indonesia where abundant wind, water and biomass resources are available.
The two-day mission in Kuala Lumpur aims to draw 100 participating Asean companies. The group will later head to India.
The Indonesian Greenhouse Gas Management Association will join the event.
CDM is a mechanism that allows industrialized nations to invest in and buy credits from carbon reduction projects in developing countries to meet their emission reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol by 2012.
Australian government wants 10 deals with Asean partners concluded in 18 months.
As the first Australian trade commissioner with a clean energy and environment portfolio in Asean, this is a part of the Rudd government's $4.5-billion initiative to increase Australia's profile in renewable and lower-emission energies partly through engagements with international communities.
As the newest Annex 1 country signing the Kyoto Protocol, Australia has set a target of lowering its greenhouse gas emissions by between 5% and 25% from 2000 levels by 2020. The proposed domestic emission trading scheme is expected to reach Australia's parliament in two weeks.
Australia also developed the world's first carbon capture and storage initiative, which is another opportunity for Indonesian companies.
The flagship programme aims to have 20 such projects established by 2020.
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