Wera Mori

The appointment was announced by the Minister for Climate Change and Environment-Conservation Wera Mori on Friday 18^th February.  Olam who is in the country on compassionate leave, accepted the invitation to be the Climate Change Ambassador.

Minister Mori thanked Olam for taking on this challenge for a very critical cause.

He said to secure PNG’s national interest at international meetings like COP26, it comes at a significant cost to Government, hence since arrival in Glasgow and had reminded the delegation to be mindful of taxpayers expense and meaningfully participate, at the COP26 and related meetings.

“This is to ensure whatever assistance is secured at high-level meetings with interested investors, complements PNG's overall climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives,” Minister Mori said.

In an official letter to Minister Mori, PM Marape announced the appointment stating that due to the escalating issues of COVID-19 throughout the country, he wouldn’t be attending the COP26 in Glasgow.

COP26 is an annual UN climate change conference and the summit will be attended by the countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change– a treaty that came into force in 1994.

The two-day virtual meeting is a lead up to the COP26 Conference on Rainforest of Nations in Glasgow, Scotland in November this year.

Minister Mori said PNG has become a victim of climate change, an issue that we did not create.

The Carteret Islanders in Bougainville are the first climate change refugees in the world. The rising sea levels have forced them to leave their island to resettle on the mainland.

He has now appealed to citizens to collectively address climate change by planting trees and mangroves to mitigate carbon concentration. 

The Minister said the findings are alarming and has also warned that we brace ourselves to the impacts of climate change.

“In parts of the country, we are now experiencing dry spell where we are now at a situation where daily temperature is rising.

“We will have temperature above what is normal and that will affect the livelihood of our people.

Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Minister Wera Mori said the objective now is to obtain all necessary information and data for a well-informed decision to be made regarding the spill.

Minister Mori claims the report by Dr Mojon intends to tarnish the good name of the current Government.

The newly-appointed Minister for Environment and Conservation has brushed aside reports by scientists engaged by the Madang Provincial Government to investigate environmental damages at Ramu NiCo’s Basamuk processing plant.

He further condemned a statement by a local scientist engaged to investigate the cause of the marine creatures dying in Madang after the spillage.

These include the Simbu lime and cement projects, the solar, hydro and carbon fired power project and the Mai river dam water supply project.

The MOU was signed early in August by Elimbari Lime and Cement Limited and Dongfeng Electric International Company.

The signing of the MOU was witnessed by Trade and Commerce Minister, Wera Mori.

Minister Mori says the MOU paves the way for the site preparation, special mining lease and engagement of local consultants to undertake social studies, landowner identification and formations of incorporated land groups (ILGs).

In a recent media conference in Port Moresby, Minister Mori said the K2 million allocated for the policy development has not been released without any proper reason, adding the Policy was a key agenda of the Government under the Alotau Accord II.

Minister Mori outlined that the establishment of a Gold Bullion Bank would create a strong economic base for the country, strengthen the Kina and lift growth.

The Department of Commerce and Industry recently launched the PMIZ individual land titles in Port Moresby last November.

The 10 individual titles will be on the market to lease to 10 locators (tuna processing companies) within the PMIZ project site in Madang Province.

Madang Governor, Peter Yama, has raised grave concerns on the launching of the PMIZ individual titles last November in Port Moresby.

He said the titles were launched there while the project is in Madang.