‘PNG must adopt and apply climate change policies’

PAPUA New Guinea must adopt and implement relevant internationally recognised best practice documents in her effort to address climate change, Commerce and Industry Minister Gabriel Kapris said yesterday in a speech to mark the 2009 World Standards Day in Port Moresby.
Mr Kapris used the theme of this year “Tackling Climate Change through Standards” as a way forward for PNG to incorporate international environment standards in key Government institutions such as the Environment and Conservation Department and the Office of Climate Change and Sustainable Energy in quantifying, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions.
He said climate change was real and PNG must move quickly in addressing it through concerted effort by everyone.
Mr Kapris said bodies like the PNG National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (NISIT) should be pooling resources and making use of the Government commitment to ensure PNG had a workable solution in place in addressing the climate change dilemma.
“My firm belief is that standards will play a key part in our quest to finding a solution to this problem because of the simple fact that specialists and experts from around the globe contribute in writing worldwide best practice standards that we are using.”
NISIT assistant director for certification Timothy Kepou expressed the intentions of NISIT, as the national standardising body, to be a partner with relevant Government entities to tackle the issues of climate change.
“Standards and conformance activities play an important role in aiding economic and technological developments, however, with the dawning of climate change, it gives a challenge to people including leaders to assist in limiting its effects and standardisers can play a part in finding the solution,” Mr Kepou said.
Mr Kepou said it was a challenge for PNG, particularly NISIT  to work together with relevant organisations within private and public sectors to address the climate change issues.