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PNG pushed to log its forests
Developed nations indirectly giving country
‘perverse
incentives’ to produce more goods from forests: Conrad
KEVIN Conrad, Papua New Guinea's US-based
consultant on climate change, believes not enough is being offered as
incentive to stop intensive logging in developing countries like PNG.
Mr Conrad told a foreign media organisation that instead of providing
positive incentives to tropical nations to conserve their rainforests
and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the world indirectly gives
"perverse incentives" to destroy them by demanding goods produced by
intensive logging.
Mr Conrad, a close friend of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, was
described in the article as "a leading environmental activist".
He said: "The Kyoto protocol does not give incentives to rainforest
nations to protect their forests," Mr Conrad, special envoy of the
environment and climate change permanent mission of Papua New Guinea to
the United Nations, told IPS.
The Kyoto protocol is the international agreement that establishes how
industrialised countries should reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)
by an average of 5% relative to 1990 levels.
The treaty does not assign targets to developing nations.
One of the instruments of the Kyoto protocol was the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM), an arrangement that allows industrialised countries
with a GHG reduction commitment to invest in projects in developing
countries that reduce emissions.
This counts towards the countries' domestic "clean" record. Conservation
of rainforests was not included in such projects.
The article said between 1989 and 1995, global emissions as a result of
deforestation, amounted to 5,000 million metric tonnes of carbon
dioxide, studies show.
"Instead of giving us incentives to protect our forests, the world gives
countries like mine (PNG) incentives to destroy them," Mr Conrad said.
Coffee, soy beans, sugar, flowers and wood furniture, he said, can only
be produced in developing countries through systematic deforestation.
"Tropical rainforest nations deserve to be treated equally. If we reduce
deforestation, we must receive fair compensation for reductions."
Mr Conrad was not new to pursuing projects of mammoth scale such as
climate change.
He had previously been involved in a multi-million kina housing scheme,
which ended in failure. He was also involved with the Angco Coffee,
which is now defunct.
The Prime Minister defended him in the previous Parliament when
questioned about his involvement with Mr Conrad.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Abal flew to New
York over the weekend to attend climate change meetings at the UN.
Sir Michael will also attend the third annual meeting of the Clinton
Global Initiative.
 
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