Apec must address climate issues: PM

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare told Apec leaders that climate change is real and taking place at a frightening pace and that international community will need to arrest this trend quickly with concrete actions.
Sir Michael said PNG attached great importance to the issues of clean development and climate change and has as a result called for the formation of the Coalition for Rainforests Nations.
He said with the help of Costa Rica and 30 other rainforest nations including Indonesia and Peru, PNG was undertaking measures to reform global carbon emissions markets to support economic development while reducing carbon emissions from deforestation.
“This is a tangible contribution which is recognised under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” Sir Michael said.
He added, however, that he was disappointed that although Apec was a grouping of economies that believe in market forces, “our proposals to improve the current carbon trading mechanisms have not been completely addressed.”
“It is through this market mechanism that we can adequately address energy efficiency. The Coalition of Rainforests Nations recognises the need to strengthen the Kyoto Protocol and the framework for Post Kyoto Protocol.
“We are, therefore, recommending that incentives be provided for those of us that have clean air upon which life depends to ensure sustainable forest development,” Sir Michael said.
He said in the forthcoming conferences of the parties later this year, the Coalition of Rainforests Countries would be calling for credible, flexible and substantial outcomes to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change to reduce emissions from deforestation.

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