Papua New Guinea’s participation at the 30th Conference of the Parties (Cop) in Brazil next week highlights the country’s role in the global movement to address climate change, says Prime Minister James Marape.
Before leaving for Cop30 on Tuesday, Marape said: “PNG is also uniquely qualified to advocate on the impact of climate change.
“Our Mortlock and Carteret islanders were the first in our country to relocate due to sea level rise, soil salination and water contamination.”
Marape said that PNG’s presence at Cop30, which is the main global forum under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change where world leaders negotiate and implement international climate agreements, was important as a forest nation.
“This is an extraordinary Cop for Papua New Guinea and Brazil,” he said. “Brazil, the biggest forest nation, is hosting it. So, a large forest nation is hosting the conference for the first time.
“This aligns with Article 5 and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which focuses on forests and forest resource management. We will have PNG’s say at Cop30.
“We are saving our forests, which are among the world’s major carbon sinks, so industrialised countries with large carbon footprints must compensate us accordingly.”
Marape said that PNG qualified for both mitigation and adaptation discussions under global climate frameworks and would continue to advocate for maintaining life on islands wherever possible.
He also emphasised that climate change discussions were incomplete without acknowledging forest resource management and sustainable ocean governance.
“We are renowned for our biodiversity while our oceans and forests hold tremendous ecological value.
“The world has invited us into high-level global discussions on this matter. Fossil fuel use has not been seriously addressed, and despite all the talk, the world still depends heavily on fossil fuels.
“Transition energy options have not been fully used,” Marape said.
