The carbon economy went from being seen as the best answer to our global environment crisis to a distant memory of a good idea, which would probably never come to fruition.

However, "Indonesia last year became the first country to launch a legal framework for a UN-backed scheme called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, allowing polluters to earn tradable carbon credits by paying developing nations not to chop down their trees."

Implications:

This could be the beginning of a global carbon trading scheme now that Indonesia is showing the way towards creating the necessary legal framework around it.

"Both as a large nation in G20 and one of leading force within ASEAN, Indonesia move should spur further actions by other similar economies, first of all within ASEAN."