Praise for Pundari’s leadership in climate change efforts

CLIMATE Change and Development Authority (CCDA) managing director for the Ruel Yamuna says efforts to address climate change in the country are progressing well because of stability in political leadership.
Yamuna, when congratulating Environment and Conservation and Climate Change Minister John Pundari into the job for a second term last Friday, said Pundari provided a very strong and stable leadership at the political level to address climate change issues in PNG.
“Climate change is an issue that is already affecting the livelihoods of our people and the political will that we have from our minister is very encouraging,” Yamuna said.
“Pundari’s last term which saw the Office of Climate Change and Development become an authority – the CCDA. We were also able to get important policies and legislation in place that set the foundation for us as a country to move forward in addressing the impacts of climate change.
“And all these were possible because we have a strong political will and that will and leadership is provided by Pundari during his last term.” He said the next five years would be exciting but challenging, and urged everyone in the authority to work together to overcome these challenges.
“With Pundari coming back, we are excited that we have the will and the energy there already at the political level,” he said.
“And over the next 100 days, we have already identified and outlined our plans and priorities as to what we will be doing going into the future.
“These include recruiting 20 new staff, getting the organisational structure well in place and others that we have in plan to achieve within the next three months.”
Yamuna called on all development partners, stakeholders and line agencies to work in partnership and in consultation with each other as a team going forward.