Ministers expected to discuss climate issues

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato, pictured, says the issue of climate change affecting Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region is already on the agenda for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation foreign ministers meeting to discuss in Port Moresby today.
Pato, who will chair the meeting, said this in Port Moresby yesterday during a panel discussions with director-general of Korean-based Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Dr Frank Rijsberman, Environment Conservation and Climate Change Minister John Pundari, United States Ambassador to PNG Catherine Ebert-Gray and Oil Search Ltd managing-director Peter Botten.
The discussions, which took place on the side of the 26th Apec leaders’ meeting, focused on:

• Impacts of climate change;
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation actions; and
• Biodiversity conservation approaches and policies taken at the national, regional and global level.

Pato said climate change was an event affecting the whole world.
He said international leaders were fully aware of the issue of climate change.
“In PNG, we are also being affected by the impact of climate change,” Pato said.