Landowners involved in the pilot project for REDD+ met this week to discuss with stakeholders and the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) regarding the project.
The April Salumei REDD+ Pilot Project is located in the 526,000 hectares’ area of East Sepik Province.
It involves an estimated total of 126 landowner groups and represented by six landowner companies under the April-Salumei REDD+ Working Group.
The REDD+ initiatives will mitigate greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and stabilise the global temperature. The project is the first project PNG has actually brought it to the point of sale.
Landowners came from the project area in the Ambuti/Drekikir and Wosera/Gawi of ESP for the discussions with stakeholders.
These include their Umbrella Company Hunstien Range Holdings Limited, Developer Pacific Forest Alliance and CCDA to address issues concerning the project and come up with a way forward for the Project.
Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change Minister John Pundari encouraged landowners to work together and embrace each other.
Pundari told the landowners to do the right thing not only for themselves but for their people, country and the entire planet.
The Minister stressed the importance of taking into consideration the endangered species and biodiversity which PNG house 5-7% in the process of trading carbon.
He challenged all parties to be better organized in order to win the confidence of domestic and international partners.
Pundari said they must ensure that our landowners are the custodians of the gift of environment that sustains and supports the livelihood of our people.
He assured landowners that CCDA would do everything to ensure that all objectives of project are met and satisfied outcomes are reached.