The apathy shown by many of the world’s industrialized countries who hold large carbon footprints is disheartening enough for Papua New Guinea, a largely forested nation to announce it’s withdrawal from the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference also known as the conference of parties or COP29 to be held in November this year.
Prime Minister, James Marape made the announcement this month after being briefed by the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) and the Conservation and Environment Protection Agency (CEPA) earlier this month.
The two organizations are the government’s eyes and ears for matters relating to Climate Change and environment protection.
PM Marape said PNG’s non-attendance will be in protest at the big carbon footprint holders of the world to demonstrate that forests nations like PNG demand for seriousness in addressing climate change issues, especially in practically addressing conservation of forests as a mitigation strategy.
“We are protesting to those who are always attending these COP meetings, making pronouncements and pledges, yet the financing of these pledges seem distant from victims of climate change and those like PNG who hold substantial forests.
The government’s stance is that the country’s forests, when harvested earns money for the economy, similarly that same forest when conserved must earn money for the economy.
“Our economy needs money yet we are preserving trees as the lungs of the earth, whilst industrialized nations keep emitting. You have not paid for any conservation.”
The Campaign Manager for Act Now! Eddie Tanago on the other hand said PNG needs to stop logging as most of the logging is illegal and unsustainable as it feeds rampant corruption.
“It needs to stop for PNG’s benefit and the government should stop trying to pretend it is a legitimate industry and blackmailing other countries to fund PNG.”
Tanago said carbon trading is monetizing the environment and is going to destroy PNG’s culture and traditional land custodianship.
“It is a form of land grabbing.”
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