Port Moresby, 08 August 2019 – Government is today hosting a forum as part of its efforts to prepare a climate action road map guided by Sustainable Development Goal 13, a Goal highlighting action to address climate change.

Convened by the Climate Change and Development Authority, the event will draw together a broad cross section of representatives from state agencies, civil society and the private sector. The event will offer participants an opportunity to canvas a range of issues. These include priority sectoral areas for action in the fight against climate change, how these efforts should be coordinated among stakeholders and the resources that will be required to successfully deliver on these initiatives. The SDG 13 Roadmap will enable implementation of other related SDGs across a range of sectors.

In opening the event, Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, the Hon. Geoffery Kama said, “Government recognises the acute challenge that climate change presents to the people of Papua New Guinea. There is no aspect of our lives it will not impact. The science is clear, we are at a critical tipping point and it is now time for all countries to act.”

The development of the SDG 13 Road Map is being supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Once completed, the road map will present priorities, actions and opportunities to enhance Papua New Guinea’s efforts to address the impacts of climate change.

A particular focus will be addressing the social, economic and environmental challenges this will present over coming decades. The map, while national in focus, will place particular emphasis on reducing the vulnerabilities of communities. It will leverage off existing national policy architecture, including the Medium-Term Development Plan III and the Strategy for Sustainable and Responsible Development (STaRS). It will propose the necessary course of action to address climate change, focusing on both mitigation and adaptation measures.

This work will further support Government’s increasing climate response efforts among them, the development of the REDD+ Financing and Investment Plan and the revision of Papua New Guinea’s Nationally Determined Contributions under the 2015 Paris Agreement. The former will increase incentives and sustainable action to protect Papua New Guinea’s unique forests and their global value as a carbon sink, the latter, due by March 2020, will present revised targets that Papua New Guinea will propose as its contribution to global efforts to fight climate change.

Over the next few months, Government will participate in key high-level climate related forum. Among them will be the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit on 23 September in New York, and the 25th Conference of the Parties scheduled for 2-13 December 2019 in Santiago, Chile.

Ms. Tracy Vienings, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP said, “There is a growing urgency to address the impacts of climate change. No country is immune and there is much that needs to be done. UNDP has and will continue to support Papua New Guinea’s fight against the impacts of climate change.”

Today’s event is being held at the Laguna Hotel, Port Moresby. Registration commences at 8.30am. The Morning sessions will address the development of the SDG 13 Road Map with afternoon sessions focused on the proposed REDD+ Finance and Investment Plan.

Contact person

Edward Vrkic, Senior Adviser – Climate Change

Email: Edward.vrkic@undp.org       

Tel.: +675 7459 3100