PNG wants REDD included in Kyoto 2

Source: The National, Thursday 01st December 2011 By JASON GIMA WURI in Durban, South Africa PAPUA New Guinea wants the reduced emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) project included in Kyoto 2 – should countries agree to renew it. Acting head of the PNG delegation Joe Pokana said the government had made six submissions on the project called REDD. One of the submissions is to place heavy emphasis on safeguards to ensure that REDD activities do not result in the loss of biodiversity and culturally significant environment or loss of landowner rights. “There will be no point in attending the conference of parties meetings if REDD is not included in Kyoto,’’ he said. “The Kyoto protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations framework convention on climate change which was adopted in Kyoto, Japan on Dec 11, 1997 and entered into force in February 2005. “The detailed rules for the implementation of the protocol were adopted at the COP 7 in Marrakesh in 2001 and are called the Marrakesh Accords. “PNG officials will also be meeting with the World Bank, European Union and contacts in Australia to secure funding for adaptation and mitigation,” Pokana said. He said another submission was that PNG and other coalition for rainforest nations want further refining of the existing decisions surrounding modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying forest-related emissions. This is to ensure developing countries are allowed to develop their national systems in a phased-approach.