"We expect countries in ASEAN can understand our aspiration and support us," the minister said on the sidelines of APEC Trade-Related Ministerial meeting here on Sunday.
In 2012, APEC leaders agreed on a list of 54 environmental goods produced in the region which can get tariff reductions of up to five percent or less by 2015. Among products included on the list are renewable and clean energy technologies, waste-water treatment technologies, air pollution control technologies and environmental monitoring and assessment equipment.
APEC economies believe that reducing tariffs on environmental goods will demonstrate its commitment to pursuing green growth objectives, addressing climate change and securing sustainable economic development.
Indonesia during the 2012 APEC meeting had actually proposed its CPO and rubber products to be included on the environmental goods list. However the request was rejected due to objection from some economies.
Indonesian Trade Ministry`s Director for APEC Cooperation and Other International Organization Deny Kurnia said the effort to promote CPO and rubber aims to put balance in the environmental goods` list which is dominated by manufacturing products produced by developed countries.
"We want the list to be balanced, not to be dominated by manufactured products but also agriculture goods so that developing countries relying on the agricultural sector can contribute to the environment preservation," he said.
Chairman of Indonesian Employers Associations (APINDO) Sofjan Wanandi also asked the Government to promote palm oil as a environmental goods item in APEC.
"If we don`t make serious efforts to make the APEC economies recognize palm oil as an environmental goods item, our business will continue to be hampered in the global market," he said at a seminar on "Economic and Politic Ahead of 2014 Elections" in Jakarta.
Of 21 APEC member economies, six among them are members of ASEAN. They are Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
(A051/A014)
Reporter: Amie Fenia Arimbi
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
