WRI Insights

The world has been asking: How will the United States turn its climate change talk into real action? President Obama began to answer that question this week when he announced [his National Climate Action Plan](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/06/first-take-looking-president-obama%E2%80%99s-climate-action-plan), laying out concrete steps to curb climate change at home and abroad, including a policy [that would bar](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/27/the-u-s-will-stop-subsidizing-coal-plants-overseas-is-the-world-bank-next/) the U.S. from financing conventional coal plants internationally. The concrete steps he described are vital--most importantly because they represent actions, not just words. But everyone should also take note of the starting point in his speech. It reveals the critical role the international climate change process can play in stimulating climate action.

President Obama [is in Africa](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/world/africa/obama-africa-tour.html) this week to discuss development, investment, health, and, [notably, food security](http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/21/conference-call-briefing-presidents-trip-africa). The trip comes on the heels of the [president’s groundbreaking announcement](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/06/first-take-looking-president-obama%E2%80%99s-climate-action-plan) of a U.S. Climate Action Plan. So it’s a fitting time for Obama and other global leaders to take notice of a strategy that addresses both climate change and food security in Africa—re-greening.

Developing countries will need [about $531 billion](http://www.wri.org/publication/mobilizing-climate-investment) of additional investments in clean energy technologies every year in order to limit global temperature rise to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, thus preventing climate change’s worst impacts. To attract investments on the scale required, developing country governments, with support from developed countries, must undertake “readiness” activities that will encourage public and private sector investors to put their money into climate-friendly projects.

Selama beberapa hari terakhir ini, WRI telah melacak lokasi peringatan titik api yang terjadi di Sumatera. Dalam perkembangan terbaru ini, WRI menganalisis tren historis kebakaran hutan yang terjadi di Sumatera.

Over the past few days, WRI has been tracking the location of forest and land fires on Sumatra, an island in western Indonesia. In this update, WRI examines the historical trends of forest fires in Sumatra. Read our [previous analysis](http://www.wri.org/topic/indonesia-forest-fires).

As the crisis of tropical deforestation reaches a [new level of urgency](http://www.wri.org/blog/2013/06/peering-through-haze-what-data-can-tell-us-about-fires-indonesia) due to forest fires raging in Indonesia, an important question is how can the world satisfy the growing demand for forest products while still preserving forest ecosystems? This week, some of the world’s largest companies will join U.S. and Indonesian government officials in Jakarta at the **[Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA 2020)](http://www.usaid.gov/climate/tfa2020)** meeting to discuss this issue.

With [today’s announcement](http://www.wri.org/news/2013/06/statement-president-obama-announce-action-climate-change) of a national climate action plan, President Obama is pushing forward to tackle the urgent challenge of climate change. This is the most comprehensive climate plan by a U.S. president to date. If fully and swiftly implemented, the Obama Administration can truly reset the climate agenda for this country.

When it comes to renewable energy, the Philippines is one of the world’s more ambitious countries. The country set out to triple its share of renewable energy by 2030 based on 2010 levels. The Philippines has one of Asia’s highest electricity rates, in part due to high costs of importing fossil fuels. Enhancing the country’s energy security and keeping power costs down have been the main drivers for setting renewable energy goals.

Hari Jumat yang lalu, [World Resources Institute](http://wri.org/) (WRI) mempublikasikan data detil terkait lokasi peringatan titik api di Sumatera yang telah menyebabkan kabut asap yang sangat mengganggu dan berpotensi beracun di wilayah Indonesia, Singapura, dan Malaysia. Pemerintah ketiga negara, perusahaan-perusahaan, maupun media semua berlomba untuk mencari data untuk memahami penyebab dan lokasi sebaran titik api, serta memutuskan siapa yang seharusnya bertanggung jawab.

Last Friday, the [World Resources Institute](http://www.wri.org/) (WRI) published detailed data on the location of forest and land fires on Sumatra, which have spread a noxious and harmful haze across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and caused widespread public concern. Governments from all three nations, many companies, and news outlets are seeking data to help understand the origin and spread of the fires, and determine who should be held accountable.