Papua New Guinea Is Ready To Share REDD+ Progress At The United Nations Climate Change Conference

Kokopo, October 18, 2016 – Papua New Guinea (PNG) will be presenting the country’s progress on REDD+ readiness at theUnited Nations Climate Change Conference in Morocco next month. In preparation, the Government of Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) is currently conducting a REDD+ training course in Kokopo, East New Britain, as part of its National REDD+ Strategy development process.

The National REDD+ Strategy will show how PNG will contribute to global efforts to address climate change by reducing deforestation and forest degradation. PNG will be eligible to receive international financial support in return for successfully reducing emissions from the country’s forests. The Strategy will help PNG attain the objectives laid out in the National Strategy for Responsible and Sustainable Development (StaRS) while also delivering benefits to communities.

Photo: Participants taking a field visit to a local cocoa plantation during the REDD+ Expert Training in East New Britain Province

Mr Yamuna, Acting Managing Director of CCDA, said he was ‘pleased with the high level of participation especially from across key Government institutions attending the training in Kokopo’, and stated that this is a positive step forward in building an effective and inclusive National REDD+ Strategy. He also acknowledged the support and ongoing contribution to PNG’s REDD+ readiness process from development partners including the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility and UNDP.

Mr Yamuna highlighted that ‘together we are working hard to develop an approach to REDD+ that will ensure we have healthy forests, contribute to addressing climate change, and support the Government’s overall vision to improve the lives of its people through a development pathway that is more sustainable and environmentally focused.’ The Issues and Options paper for PNG’s National REDD+ Strategy provides the basis for starting the implementation of PNG’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.Mr. Joel Scriven, a regional advisor on REDD+ from UNDP, expressed UNDP’s ongoing support to PNG’s rapid progress in this area as well as the global interest in supporting PNG in managing its globally unique forests. He was also impressed with the close collaboration between civil society groups, development partners and across Government in the development of PNG’s National REDD+ Strategy.