PNG in line for climate funding

THE country may soon receive funding through the reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) concept, according to the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority.
Director of forest policy and planning Dr Ruth Turia told The National yesterday at the opening of the first Pacific regional workshop on forest monitoring in Port Moresby that the country might meet the requirements to apply for funding from the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) by 2018.
“Developed countries under the UNFCCC have a green climate fund where all other developed countries put money into,” she said.
“Tropical countries with carbon stock can apply to UNFCCC to get funding.”
Turia said the Climate Change and Development Authority would facilitate the process for Papua New Guinea. She said all countries wanting to apply for funding must satisfy four requirements: have a National Forest Monitoring System, a National REDD+ Strategy, Forest Reference Level and a Social Information System.
Turia said Papua New Guinea only had to develop a social information system to qualify.
That is likely to be completed in 2018.
“From then on we can submit our application for funding to assist us in continuing our projects towards decreasing emission of greenhouse gases,” she said.