Carbon trade talks well under way

MORE than 30,000 people from the 16 integrated landowner groups (ILGs) in the Kofena Valley of Daulo district, Eastern Highlands province are in serious talks to launch a carbon trading business.
In a show of their seriousness, the ILGs have flown in three scientists from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) for boundary survey, social mapping and biodiversity survey in the Marafuga Rain Forest area.
Kofena ILG chairman Andrew Warige said that the Marafuga Rain Forest had an estimated 50,000ha of rain forest potential for carbon trading.
Mr Warige said the ILG clans had unanimously agreed to go for carbon trading and registered their ILGs with the Lands Department and obtained business registration certificate from the investment promotion authority.
“After all the surveys are complete and certificate of emission reduction issued by the DEC, we will engage a California-based carbon trade consultant to do the carbon sink sequestration.
“My main aim is to permanently reunite the 30,000 people who have been displaced by a bloody tribal fight in 1995 that affected their socio-economic lives.
“Their coffee plantations that  they used to rely on to sustain themselves were destroyed. I have now opted for carbon trading to revive their lives and future generations,” said Mr Warige.
Asked whether he would consider trading under the regulatory or voluntary market, Mr Warige said: “That has to be decided later when all the processes are complete and carbon trading certificate issued by the Office of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability.”