PNG PM Marape Announces End to New Forestry Licences, Calls for Climate Action
PNG Prime Minister James Marape has declared that no new forestry licences will be issued in Papua New Guinea after September 16, reinforcing his government’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development.
Speaking at the 42nd meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board in Port Moresby yesterday, Marape also urged current players in the forestry sector to shift towards downstream processing, saying the era of raw log exports must give way to value-added production.
“We have lived in harmony with nature for over 10,000 years,” he said.
 |
| PNG PM Marape Announces End to New Forestry Licences, Calls for Climate Action |
“Even before the climate treaties, even before Article 5 and 6 of the Paris Agreement, PNG had already enshrined the responsibility to protect our environment in our Constitution—right at Independence in 1975.”
Marape appealed to the global community to take decisive action in protecting the world’s forests and oceans, describing them as the “lungs and lifeline of our planet.”
He stressed that oxygen, not food, water, or clothing, is the most fundamental human need—and warned that unchecked environmental destruction threatens that very necessity.
“If you destroy forests and oceans, you destroy oxygen. Then life itself is in danger,” Marape warned.
“If we disrupt the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, we are not just facing rising sea levels or extreme heat—we risk compromising the gift of life for future generations.”
The Prime Minister also expressed frustration with wealthy nations’ failure to deliver on climate financing promises. While pledges are made at global forums, Marape said real support is often delayed or bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles.
“We are not beggars for climate funds. We are providing a global service—preserving one of the world’s last major carbon sinks,” he said.
“If the world wants our forests to remain standing, then pay us to preserve them. That is not charity, that is justice.”
He described the process of accessing Green Climate Fund support as slow and overly complicated, particularly for small island developing states and forest-rich countries like PNG.
Marape also confirmed he will attend the upcoming COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil, and is scheduled to meet privately with King Charles III on July 7, where climate issues will be a key focus of discussion.
In closing, the Prime Minister extended an invitation to global leaders and GCF delegates to return to Papua New Guinea—not just for summits, but to witness firsthand the country’s efforts in conservation and sustainable growth.
“We are not what the headlines say. We are a kind, resilient, and generous people,” he said.
“Come see our forests, our oceans, our children, and our resolve to build a better world.”
Also read
Post a Comment