White House Environmental Chief Visits Jakarta

August 22, 2007

Bahasa Indonesia

James L. Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, visited Jakarta August 15-16, 2007

Connaughton held a series of meetings with key Indonesian environmental policy figures to discuss energy security and climate change issues. Among others, he met with State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar, several senior officials from the Forestry Ministry, and representatives of environmental non-governmental organizations.

“We are delighted that Indonesia has the presidency [of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change] this year. This is a pivotal year for discussions on energy security, sustainable development, and climate change. Indonesia is a nation that represents the perfect balance of interests: Indonesia is a developing country working very hard on eradicating poverty; Indonesia has a wealth of forest and mining resources; Indonesia is an oil producer; Indonesia also has vast and growing segments of its economy,” Connaughton said regarding Indonesia’s role in the December United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali.

With regard the U.S. stance on Indonesia’s nuclear energy development plan, he said, “We have encouraged all countries with the intellectual, technical and safety capacity to pursue civilian nuclear energy, because it’s a zero emission energy source.”

Connaughton was appointed by President Bush on June 18, 2001. He serves as the senior environmental, energy and natural resources advisor to the President as well as Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, which oversees the development of environmental policy, coordinates interagency implementation of environmental programs, and mediates key policy disagreements among Federal agencies, state, tribal and local governments and private citizens.

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Note: James L. Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, visited Jakarta August 15-16, 2007