PRIME Minister James Marape will be speaking on issues relating to carbon emission and rainforest conservation as one of his top agendas at the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Prime Minister before transiting to Singapore this morning made it known to the media some of the main issues his team of delegates will be addressing at the UNGA starting tomorrow and ends on the 26th of September.
He said he will be speaking on issues affecting PNG as a small island nation with less carbon footprints having unfairly affected by the damage caused by greater industrialized countries who are the main carbon emitters of planet earth.
“The great carbon emitters of planet earth including USA, China and the big industrialized nations and the multi-national conglomerates must own up to the issue that faces small island States.
“PNG may be a big island but we do have small islands inside us and also the small Pacific island nations living with the adversity that is caused by sea level rise, weather pattern changes and the climate change issues,” PM Marape said.
He expressed this concern saying the issue is life threatening for small island States.
PM Marape added that if the greater nations want to advocate to PNG on saving our forests, they need to put their dollar to where their mouth is.
“You are the big carbon emitters. You emit carbon; you have not fully subscribed to global conversation of climate change.
“Nations like PNG got one third of the thirteen percent (13%) of world’s rainforest.
“If we preserve that, we will easily be one third in the next ten years.
“If you want me to preserve my forest, which is six to seven percent (6-7%) of world’s biodiversity, it is a global asset.
“The big companies who are big carbon emitters and the industrialized nations need to be serious about this issue and I will be advocating this at a highest forum,” PM Marape said.
He further added that he will also be addressing this issue at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) which will be staged in October this year.
“We want to go green and the people who benefit from the oxygen we produce in our country must pay their dollars for us to conserve the forest we have in our country,” Marape said.
The Prime Minister will also be speaking for PNG as a nation trying to find the balance between keeping the economy alive and managing Covid-19.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has appointed Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister, Soroi Eoe as the acting Prime Minister in his absence.
