WCS to create carbon trading concept for Manus

National, Normal
Source:

By ROSELYN ELLISON

WILDLIFE conservation society (WCS-PNG) is developing a carbon trading forest management concept for Manus province with climate change adaptation as the real focus.
WCS director Dr Ross Sinclair highlighted this during a meeting with Manus provincial consultative team (PCT) members in Lorengau on Tuesday.
When asked by Manus provincial education adviser Pompiran Kuyei, on the justification of developing a village REDD (reduced emission from deforestation and forest degradation) concept, Dr Sinclair said: “Manus has certain important advantages working strongly in its favour in the development of a concept model.
“Some of the factors include a high degree of demonstrated threat to its relatively small forest ecosystem, its perceived lack of geo-political and sub-national administrative complexity, and its isolation from gross misinformation and mental pollution by so-called society groups in the province.”
Dr Sinclair said having a carbon trading forest management concept would be a great contribution by the province and its people towards the design of a national and international carbon trading policy framework in relation to this new commodity.
“This is significant in the global arena as PNG is a leading nation in the Coalition of Rainforest Nations pushing for compensator and compensatory measures for forest conservation by developed nations.
“The WCS village REDD is an economic income-earning option with multiple co-benefits to biological diversity, and as such it is something Manus must explore
“The WCS village REDD concept is one of five carbon trading and forest management models being developed by various highly accredited scientific organisations across Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
“It is financially supported by a A$1.5 million grant from AusAID through the Papua New Guinea-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership signed by Australian prime ,inister Kevin Rudd and PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare on March 6, 2008,” Dr Sinclair said.