Jakarta - Former US Vice President (VP) and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Al Gore met with Indonesian government, business and NGO leaders on Sunday, 9 January 2011 to discuss how all parties could work together to find the best solutions to tackle climate change.
The meeting was held as part of the 2011 Business for Environment (B4E) Forest Dialogue. It is the forerunner to the world’s leading international conference for business-driven action for the environment – the B4E Global Summit, scheduled for 27 - 29 April 2011 in Jakarta.
Co-hosted by the Republic of Indonesia’s House of Regional Representatives (DPD RI), WWF-Indonesia, and Global Initiatives, the dialogue also celebrated the 2011 United Nations Year of the Forests - exploring the role of Indonesia's forests to reducing global carbon emissions and combating climate change.
As one of a select group of “forest rich” nations on earth, Indonesia is expected to strengthen its strategic role to play in the debate surrounding the sustainable use of forests for the mitigation of climate change.
One of the world’s most influential voices on the environment and climate change, Al Gore delivered an exclusive keynote address at a gala dinner associated with the event, sharing his vision for the role of forests in a sustainable future.
Held in Shangri-La Hotel, VP Gore attended the the gala dinner accompanied by other speakers: Irman Gusman (Chairman of the Indonesian House of Regional Representatives), El-Mustafa Benlamlih (Resident Coordinator for the United Nations) and Gita Wirjawan (Chairman of the Indonesian National Investment Board-BKPM).
Also speaking at the Forest Dialogue was Dr. Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia, who launched a major new initiative to drive sustainable growth for Indonesian businesses in one of the region’s key biodiversity hot spots – the Heart of Borneo.
“The Dialogue today was all about the potential for partnerships between business, governments and NGOs like WWF, to build a sustainable future for Indonesia. It was also about the commitment to pursue those partnerships at the forthcoming B4E Global Summit to be held in Jakarta in late April,” Dr Efransjah said.
“In the spirit of partnership, it is with great pleasure that I use this occasion to launch the Heart of Borneo Green Business Network, Business Solutions report, and Website. These business tools were developed with business, for business, to catalyse action on conservation and sustainable development in the Heart of Borneo,” he added.
Dr Efransjah called on all industry representatives to join with WWF to find business solutions to tackle climate change and benefit from the opportunities offered by pursuing green business-based sustainable growth.
He said for WWF Indonesia, the launch of the Green Business Network and Business Solutions Report was part of an on-going relationship with the commercial sector – some of the fruits of which would be showcased at the forthcoming B4E Global Summit in April.
The B4E Global Summit 2011 will be held in partnership with the Indonesian House of Regional Representatives (DPD RI), the Government of Indonesia, WWF and Global Initiatives and will bring together world leaders, CEOs, NGOs, international agencies and the media to discuss and propose collaborative solutions to address the most urgent environmental and climate issues facing the world today.
For more information, please contact:

• Devy Suradji, WWF-Indonesia Marketing and Communication Director, dsuradji@wwf.or.id
• Tony Gourlay, Global Initiatives Chief Executive Officer, tony.gourlay@globalinitiatives.com

Notes to editors
WWF’s Heart of Borneo Initiative and its Green Business Network
WWF’s Heart of Borneo Initiative was established to support the three governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam in their development of the Heart of Borneo Declaration. The Green Business Network (GBN) and the Business Solutions report were developed with support from international consultancy PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC). For more information visit: www.panda.org/borneo/greenbusinessnetwork
The International Year of Forests 2011
The International Year of Forests 2011 is the United Nations’ global platform to celebrate people’s action to sustainably manage the world’s forests. The United Nations General Assembly declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests to raise awareness on sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests.
Global Initiatives
Global Initiatives promotes partnership solutions to global challenges through a portfolio of international events, television programmes and media projects. These initiatives bring together world leaders, CEOs, media and NGOs to advance multistakeholder action on of the greatest challenges facing the world.
WWF- Indonesia
WWF-Indonesia is an independent member of WWF, the global conservation organization, a network of WWF organizations and affiliates operating in close to 100 countries worldwide. It is an independent foundation registered under Indonesian law. In carrying out its conservation work, WWF-Indonesia has 25 project offices in 17 provinces. This organization works with local governments through practical field projects, scientific research, advising local governments on environmental policy, promoting environmental education, empowering communities, and raising awareness on environmental issues. More info about WWF-Indonesia, visit www.panda.org; or our local sites www.wwf.or.id and WWF-Indonesia supporter website in www.supporterwwf.org