Control actions: Official

By LORRAINE JIMAL
People can minimise impacts of climate change in the country by controlling activities they do in communities, an official says.
Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) acting managing director William Lakani said climate change was a global issue that would not change overnight, and it was a challenge for a developing country like PNG to mitigate the impacts quickly.
“But you can control your actions and activities, do not cut down trees, do not burn the forest and plant the trees in your communities to slow down the impacts of climate change,” he said.
Lakani said these type of activities could slow down the impacts of climate change for the benefit of the future generations.
He told The National that so many carbon schemes had evolved in the country.
He said that his office however, was only aware of few of the carbon schemes and they knew nothing about the rest because developers negotiated with the landowners.
“The ones we know of are New Ireland, Oro, and Gulf,” he said.
Lakani said that the government had found out about many voluntary carbon schemes and it stopped the activities.
He said this was to allow for a proper stocktake and audit of existing voluntary projects and also give time to the government to regulate laws to govern the schemes.
According to the PNG Environmental Alliance interim coordinator Pamela Avusi, if the laws were in place, PNG could also engage in the carbon business.