Photo: Rocky Roe - ABC
According to Ambassador Jernej Videtic, the European Union (EU) is willing to provide Papua New Guinea with hundreds of millions of Kina to help the country complete its forestry reforms.
“Some of the areas that the EU will help are in environmental data management for carbon trading, knowledge management, green jobs and growth, among others.
“PNG holds one of the largest primary forests of the world,” Videtic said.
Videtic, who spoke at the PNG Forest Authority’s workshop to celebrate the 2022 International Day of Forest 2022 said PNG was in danger of climate change. “Forestry, climate change and biodiversity are intrinsically connected specially for PNG,” he said.
“We are aware that your forest not only serves PNG but Europe and the entire world.
“We are ready to support PNG and allocate significant funds in the hundreds of millions of Kina for forestry, climate change and biodiversity programmes, three elements that cannot be separated,” he added.
Solan Mirisim, the Minister of Forestry, stated that it was critical to use and manufacture wood in an environmentally responsible manner.
“1.6 billion people depend on the forest for their livelihood and PNG is no exception,” he added.
PNGFA managing director John Mosoro said the authority was also implementing changes, including the much-discussed log export development charge, to guarantee that revenues flow to forest resource regions.
Reference: The National (22 March 2022). “EU ready to help reform forestry”.
