THE New Ireland Province launched it’s first-ever Climate-Resilient Plan and Climate Assessment Report on Thursday last week.
The event coincided with a swearing in of seven members into the Provincial Climate Change Committee (PCCC).
The program was jointly delivered by New Ireland Provincial Administration, Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and delivery partner the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
Present at the occasion were Deputy Governor for New Ireland Province, the Provincial Administrator, representatives from CCDA, GGGI and key stakeholders.
Provincial Administrator Mr Lamiller Pawut, in his opening remarks, acknowledged all stakeholders for their contribution in the development of New Ireland Province’s Climate-Resilient Plan.
“It gives me great confidence to say that the launching of New Ireland’s Climate-Resilient Plan and assessment report, and the swearing-in of PCCC members, is New Ireland’s response and contribution to PNG’s National Determined Contributions or NDCs,” he said.
“This is ultimately our response as well to the Paris Agreement under Article 4 which calls for parties to prepare, communicate and maintain successive NDCs that the country intends to achieve to fight climate change.”
He added that New Ireland’s Integrated Provincial Development Plan currently under development was informed by the Climate-Resilient Plan, and would align with the PNG Medium-Term Development Plan 2023-2027.
New Ireland’s Climate Resilient Plan follows three years of consultations with local stakeholders, which started in late 2019.
The plan includes priority actions for the province to adapt and mitigate climate change in the economic and social services sector with immediate to long-term goals.
The plan will prioritize building of climate resilience in the fisheries, agriculture, transport and energy sub-sectors.
Country Representative of GGGI Sakiusa Tuisolia said:
“Working alongside New Ireland to assess its green growth potential, its climate vulnerability, and importantly, its plan to do something about it, has been a great learning curve for all stakeholders, and an experience like no other, for international inter-governmental organizations like GGGI.”
CCDA’s Senior National Communications Officer Erick Sarut conducted the swearing-in ceremony (affirming) of seven members of the New Ireland PCCC.
The packed launching ceremony followed a Provincial Executive Council endorsement for the establishment of the PCCC in a decision made on 19 September 2021 by the Council (11/2021).
The key role of the committee is to coordinate efforts to combat climate change at the provincial level, communicate with the national Government on climate action, and provide climate-related advice for the benefit of communities of New Ireland.
The New Ireland Climate-Resilient Plan, assessment report, and PCCC swearing-in ceremony is supported under the four-years Climate Resilient Green Growth (CRGG) Project, from 2019-2022.
The project is funded by the Government of Australia and implemented by CCDA in partnership with GGGI.
The project aims to enhance the planning capacity of PNG to be climate resilient and increase green growth in multiple sectors in three pilot provinces which includes New Ireland, Enga and Milne Bay.
