Counting carbon footprints in Cancun

Dec 2 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Adianto P. Simamora The Jakarta Post, Indonesia / Asia News Network

"We invite you to mitigate your 1.71 tons of emissions by purchasing carbon certificates."

That is the answer from an online emission calculator when IGG Maha Adi, an Indonesian delegate to the Cancun climate talks, counted his carbon footprint for his trip to Cancun, Mexico.

Delegates to the two-week talks can access an online or a manual carbon footprint calculator set up in conference venue to measure emissions associated with air and ground transportation, lodging and meals.

The Mexican government is offering options for participants to purchase conservation projects to offset their emissions.

For individuals, the government offered four low-carbon projects including a wind turbine project in which participants could share US$14.82, or indigenous forest projects at a cost of $12.65 each.

Ten thousand delegates from 194 countries, including government officials, activists, company representatives and reporters, are expected to attend the two-week conference, which officially kicked off Monday morning.

The climate conference is being held at the Moon Palace Hotel, while side events are housed 7km away at the Cancun Messe convention center.

All delegates pass through the Cancun Messe for security checks before being transported to the Moon Palace Hotel.

Indonesia's total greenhouse gas emission in 2005 was 2.3 billion tons, placing the country third on the list of biggest emitters after the US and China.

Delegates to the 16th climate conference will discuss long-standing issues of how to cut emissions to prevent a 2-degree Celsius increase in the planet's temperature.

Each year, there are at least four climate conferences held before the ministerial level climate talks held usually two weeks before year-end.

At previous climate conferences, developed countries refused to agree to legally binding emission reduction targets, while developing countries also refused binding cuts.

The carbon footprint calculator was developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The Mexican government said that for the conference, some power was supplied through a system of photovoltaic cells with an estimated output of 130 kilowatts.

The installation of a 1.5-megawatt wind power generator will contribute to Cancun's electricity production through renewable sources.

The delegates will be provided with hybrid vehicles for their transfers during the talks in order to neutralize their emissions.

The Mexican government has also implemented a special hotel assessment program in Cancun aimed at enhancing sustainable operations.

Through the Environmental Leadership for Competitiveness program implemented by SEMARNAT, hotels will run eco-efficiency projects to reduce the use of raw material, energy and water during the conference.

The projects were expected to reduce water consumption by 200,000 cubic meters and carbon dioxide by 4,000 tons.

The host country also planted 10,000 trees and bushes in Cancun.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said all nations would have the opportunity to make progress by adopting a broad and balanced set of decisions to reduce emissions.