KOKODA Track could be one of the areas for carbon trading pilot projects, Minister for Conservation and Environment Benny Allan said yesterday.
He said the National Executive Council will set up the climate change office within his department to deal with all issues on carbon trading.
Mr Allen said this after returning from the consultative group on environment ministers meeting in Monaco, France, from Feb18-22.
The minister was accompanied by Kevin Conrad, Papua New Guinea (PNG) special envoy and ambassador on environment and climate change to the United Nations and a senior technical officer from the department.
He said apart from the main meeting, the PNG team also followed up with bilateral discussions with Norway, Netherlands, Indonesia, UK and UNEP.
He said all the countries had shown interest in assisting PNG and their delegations would visit the country next month with Norway in May and Indonesian president in June.
Mr Allen said this followed up talks at Bali meeting and Norway had indicated its assistance with US$2.8 million to help developing countries with forest management.
He said other countries too had planned to assist.
“But the climate change office would have to be set up to coordinate funds,” he said.
Mr Allan said the first task was to identify areas for pilot projects like carbon trading.
“Kokoda Track has plans for its conservation in the course of which the officers would take forest data to seek assistance from developing countries,” Mr Allan said.
Under carbon trading, logging would be discouraged and developing countries would compensate for the loss in logging revenue.