The use of clean rainforest air and natural gas will be one of the key discussions that will be held at PNG’s Pavilion at the Expo 2020 in Dubai United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Giving an update from Dubai, PNG’s Commissioner General to the Expo, Ambassador Joshua Kalinoe said they have settled in and are getting the pavilion program finalized and ready to go.
He said the contingent is looking ahead at the activities that are undertaken by the expo committee, called the thematic week events.
Ambassador Kalinoe said they are also participating through the CEOs of companies through ministers of government, with the minister for Forests’ arrival in Dubai kick starting the first program, which is on environment and biodiversity.
“The important commitment for us that we have to look ahead and think of how we can also contribute as a country to the expo events. Through the ministerial discussions and participating issues in participation and we will contribute.
“When it comes to new ideas and innovation, we can also contribute in the areas that we base our sub-theme on, which is sustainable use of resources for economic development.”
“Within that context and that sub-theme, we are now thinking of having a program in the pavilion that will stimulate ideas and bring together experts and authorities to discuss issues and analyse and look at technology that can bring important issues in the future and that is hydrogen gas.”
Ambassador Kalinoe said Papua New Guinea has clean air through its rainforests, being the third largest in the world and natural gas.
“Looking at these two gas sources, we believe it we can generate in future income and develop technology and partner with universities and institutions internationally to create research on how to use these resources.
“This will be converted into gas that will be used for household as well as mobility purposes, and that is the hydrogen gas that everyone in the world is currently talking about.”
“I know for a fact that the EU has passed legislation that moving forward hydrogen gas is on their agenda and they want to use it for mobility purposes, especially to support or to reduce their reliance on electricity driven cars.”
“Technology is being developed converting those green gases, especially, from the forests’ clean air into hydrogen gas. For Papua New Guinea, we have two sources, the rainforests as well as the natural gas.”
“Even with these potentials, it’s in our interest to time to start mobilizing and organizing, taking leadership in discussions that will lead us to eventually commercialise these resources.”
“So, in that context, we are planning to organise an initial roundtable discussion at the official and expert level in our pavilion and we have already spoken to experts in Europe, South Arica, Asia, and very shortly, I’ll be sending our invitations to the rainforest nations in West Africa, as well as in South America.
“So, that is the plan that we have going forward, which is a bigger and a more visionary type of programme that we are anticipating.”