‘Make no haste into carbon trade’

AN alliance of resource owners in Morobe province has warned integrated  land groups from hastily getting into partnership with carbon trading companies.
The United Cromwell Resource Owners (UCRO), made up of associations including the Cromwell Komba, Kiat Kiwa and Kalasa resource owners, chaired by Morobe provincial government’s officer in charge of climate change Philip Dowa, said yesterday that people were being lured by promises of fast money.
Mr Dowa said landowners from within their ranks had been tempted.
“We are aware of certain groups that are luring individuals with promises of huge benefits in return for submitting ILGs to their organisation,” he said.
Mr Dowa, including other leaders of UCRO, said certain individuals and groups were going around without their knowledge to recruit people.
He said the National Government had yet to draw up a legislation on the issue of climate change and carbon trade and stressed that UCRO had shown interest to participate if the outcome of the Copenhagen meet was positive.
Mr Dowa added that the alliance was committed to work closely within the legal framework “in mitigating the effects of climate change and to harness the benefits in the most tangible manner”.
He urged controversial figures James Kond and Robert Kirks to refrain from confusing the resource owners without conducting proper awareness and scientific inventory of the forest area.