April 4, 2022
PAPUA New Guinea (PNG) focused on its Green Economy at the Expo2020 in Dubai at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because PNG has the largest share of it from the third largest rainforest in the world.
“Like the other Pacific Islands states, we are an island nation sharing the vast Pacific Ocean. The Blue Economy is also important for us.
“However, in Expo2020, PNG focused on the Green Economy because the Island of New Guinea host the third largest rainforest in the World, of which PNG has the largest share,” said the PNG Commissioner General for Expo2020 and Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union His Excellency Joshua Kalinoe.
“Through Expo2020, we have told the world of our efforts to protect this international asset through our two-part Roundtable discussions and several business forums where the forest, tourism and agricultural resources the country is so blessed with are sustainably utilized. This means living in balance with nature,” he said during the Pavilion Closing Dinner on Monday last week.
Ambassador Kalinoe said the two roundtable discussions on ‘Living in Balance with Nature’ resulted in a very positive response from Europe, North America, Asia and the UAE.
Ideas on the sustainable use of the forest through science, research and innovation where exchanged and positive outcomes were concluded, including the following;
1. MOU was signed between a PNG Forest Concession Holder Company and a North American Environment Management Company for Carbon Trade partnership.
2. A coalition of international academics formed to carry out scientific research into the forest biodiversity, agriculture and other economic use of the land and natural resources, including in hydrogen gas conversion and production as well as block chain and crypto currency trade.
3. Establishment of a private equity venture capital Sustainable Development fund.
“During the agriculture thematic week, the Pavilion signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with the Dubai Multi-commodities Centre (DMCC) for trade in agriculture and mineral products and discussions are ongoing with an Abu Dhabi based company for similar partnership arrangements,” said Ambassador Kalonie.
“The PNG-DMCC partnership has in fact started with the launch of the PNG-DMCC coffee brand last month where PNG Coffee beans are brewed and packed at the DMCC Coffee Centre in Dubai and distributed through the DMCC marketing system,” he said.
Ambassador Kalinoe said that in April, the team will take the post Expo journey to Abu Dhabi were a B2B and G2B networking dialogue will be staged and it is hoped that more LOIs will be signed from the Expression of Interests that the Pavilion had received.
