Climate Change

Minister responsible for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change, John Pundari, said this when officially opening the event yesterday (Aug 21).

The symposium focuses on ‘Overcoming the Challenges of an Uncertain Future with Enhanced Climate Information Services’.

The meeting discussed actions the private sector needs to take in the Pacific region to challenge climate change, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and other relevant issues. 

The preparatory meeting is held annually ahead of the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting, where Pacific Island leaders consider the recommendations from the preparatory meeting. This year, the Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting will be held in Nauru on September 4.

Addressing Pacific leaders at the Climate Action Pacific Partnership Conference talanoa session at the Great Council of Chiefs Complex in Fiji’s capital, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations executive director Emele Duituturaga said leaders and stakeholders need to stand united against the world’s big carbon emitters.

 “We need to agree on key messages; identify our respective target audiences and develop inside/outside strategies,” she said.

Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Environment and Conservation, John Pundari, and his Australian counterpart, Environment and Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg, have both signed the Papua New Guinea-Australia Climate Change Action Plan.

Through this agreement, both countries acknowledge their mutual commitment to implementing the Paris Agreement, which reinforces stronger regional cooperation to address climate change risks whilst also contributing to mitigating climate change.

SPREP'S climate change adaptation advisor said training being held this week in Fiji aimed to improve planning and decision making to boost resilience.

Filomena Nelson said skills such as cost benefit analysis were being taught so that limited resources can be spent wisely and with a long term view in mind.

"Adaptation has to be done as part of development planning as well.

Mr Tong is visiting New Zealand to promote a film called Anote's Ark which portrays the frightening climate change reality that his people face.

He said even if the most ambitious targets for reducing global carbon emissions are met Kiribati and other islands like Tuvalu and Tokelau could still be swamped by the sea.

Commencing tomorrow, Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will deliver a package of technical training and consultations.

Under the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) REDD+ Project, the initiative aims to broaden participants’ understanding of what can be done to better protect forests and use sustainable agricultural practices.

This was the question posed during the recent meeting of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania (Australia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, New Zealand, CEPAC – the rest of the Pacific).

An urgent ethical challenge facing the worldwide human family today concerns economic development dependent upon fossil fuel based energy, especially coal.

This was one of the main objectives that motivated the first ever sub-regional workshop on Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Climate Finance here in Port Moresby.

The two-day workshop saw stakeholders, including the climate change authority, the US Embassy as well as representatives from private sectors attend the event at the Stanley Hotel, which started today.

The climate change aspect through the Adventist Development and Relief Agency will empower communities to participate in activities that will reduce the impact of climate change and develop different coping strategies to address the issue.

The Project will build community resilience, allowing the community to re-learn indigenous disaster alerts (Conch shells and drums) and include drought tolerant crops and seed multiplication as part of food security.