PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has urged Commonwealth countries “to take leadership and immediate action” on climatic change to avoid the catastrophic fallout from global warming.
Addressing fellow heads of government in Kampala, Uganda, Sir Michael said the effects of global warming “are real”.
“Last week, we faced heavy rains in several parts of Papua New Guinea.
“One province was nearly washed away by severe flooding. We lost more than 100 people while property and vital road infrastructure were virtually destroyed, ” he said.
He said PNG had been working diligently over the past several years with a growing “coalition” of developing nations to address climate change by reforming global carbon emissions frameworks to include tropical rainforests.
PNG is co-chair of this coalition of rainforest nations.
Sir Michael said for the most part, international market forces were driving deforestation “by seeking our hard wood timber, palm oil, soy, coffee, cocoa, etc”.
“Often, we must clear the land for these products. Then, we are condemned by industrial countries for the resulting deforestation,” he said.
“For the global climate, these are perverse market incentives.”
He said this conflict between market forces and sustainability had prompted the coalition to call for a new framework to assist those developing countries that voluntarily reduced emissions from deforestation.
He said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that emissions from deforestation could account for about 20% of global emissions.
In order to succeed, Sir Michael said, the Commonwealth must collectively fight for:
*Deeper emission cuts within industrialised nations;
*Mobilisation of sufficient and sustainable resources;
*Credit for ‘early action’ to reduce emissions from deforestation; and
*A clear “Roadmap for action to Bali and beyond” ( in reference to the Bali conference on climate control next month).
Sir Michael said the most realistic path towards a global environmentally sustainable future demanded both international cooperation, and domestic responsibility.