Stakeholders Kick Off Discussions On PNG’s Climate Investment Plan Development

Port Moresby, 18 May 2018 – Efforts continue to highlight the importance of Papua New Guinea’s forests, land use and agriculture in the fight against climate change.

Commencing on Monday 21 May this week, Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will delivered a package of technical training and consultations under the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) REDD+ Project. This initiative aims to broaden participants understanding of what can be done to better protect forests and use sustainable agricultural practices.

Among those to benefit from this event will be Government officials, civil society organisations, members of the private sector and most importantly local communities.

Photo: Stakeholder participants at the Expert Training

“We, Papua New Guineans, are custodians of our forest and land resources and we should be proud of our efforts to protect them. But we cannot be complacent. There is great and growing pressure on our forests. Their continued protection requires ongoing efforts to help people better understand why they are so important. Not just to our identity, but in the fight against climate change,” said the CCDA’s General Manager for its Mitigation Division, Ms Gwen Sissiou.

There is almost universal agreement among scientists globally that human actions have been the major cause of climate change since the 1950s. While these actions in developed countries have been driven by industrialisation, in developing countries they have resulted largely from deforestation.

This training covered a range of topics. These included what can be done to reduce forest loss, sustainable agricultural and land-use practices, the lessons learned through the experience of other countries, access to climate finance as well as the work of partners like the UNDP in supporting the Government and communities of PNG fight climate change through the development of a range of programmes.

“This is such an important issue for all Papua New Guineans. There are so many ways in which climate change has begun and increasingly will affect, all our lives. Among other resources, PNG’s forests are critical in the fight against climate change and the UNDP is proud to support these initiatives in partnership with the CCDA,” said UNDP’s Deputy Resident Representative, Ms Tracy Veinings. The training delivered in Kokopo, East New Britain Province from the 21-25 May 2018 was attended by over eighty key stakeholders from the government, private sector and civil society organisations.