Officials from Papua New Guinea and Australia met yesterday for the second Papua New Guinea-Australia Climate Change Annual Dialogue, hosted by Australia.
The Dialogue was an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of 2020 and agree on key priorities for 2021 under the PNG-Australia Climate Change Action Plan (PACCAP).
Diane Barclay, Minister–Counsellor, Australian High Commission, and co-chair of the meeting, said, “We are pleased with today’s meeting, following the success of the first PNG-Australia Annual Climate Change Dialogue. Australia values our partnership on climate change with PNG and today’s Dialogue is an example of our shared commitment to addressing its impacts.”
Priorities agreed at the Dialogue for 2021 include collaboration at the November COP26 in Glasgow, climate finance and climate action, implementing PNG’s Nationally Determined Contributions, supporting PNG to develop a carbon roadmap and capacity building and mentoring.
Ruel Yamuna, Managing Director of the PNG Climate Change and Development Authority and co-chair of the meeting said, “We believe that the Australia–PNG Partnership on Climate will play a key role in progressing climate resilience and green growth. We are grateful for the support given so far and the new priorities agreed in this second Annual Dialogue that will enable us to build up our own technical capacity, discuss potential to unlock new capital through private sector mobilisation and engagement, and shift our thinking into alignment with the Paris agreement goals within the framework of the National SDG 13 Climate Action Roadmap. We look forward to taking this work forward through more consistent and predictable climate finance from the Green Climate Fund amongst other funding sources to achieve low-emission and climate-resilient development in PNG.”
Managing Director Yamuna and Minister-Counsellor Diane Barclay signed an outcomes document at the conclusion of the meeting, which will guide the partnership for 2021.
The Dialogue was attended by officials from PNG’s Climate Change Development Authority, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Conservation and Environment Protection Authority and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
Papua New Guinea will host the Annual Dialogue in 2022.