Papua New Guinea’s Chief Masigero, James Marape, criticized the climate change that is developing “high in the conversation with world leaders in Brazil.
The leader of the Pacific nation about 10 million people skipped the meeting in 2024 in “protest of major countries” for failing to support the victims of climate change. Marape will participate in the annual UN Climate Summit, officially created in Belém, Brazil on 10 November, due to the “encouraging signs” coming from developed countries on climate finance.
“I did not attend Cop29 because these meetings are always talk and short action,” Marape said.
“This year, we are attending because we are beginning to see encouraging signs that developed countries are ready to deliver climate finance and solutions.”
Marape said Papua New Guinea is both “a victim of climate change and a provider of solutions”.
“We will have a say at COP30, and we will ensure that our landowners benefit from conservation efforts.”
Cop copies face ongoing criticism that major nations have failed to take meaningful climate action.
Last Thursday, the Secretary of the UN Soul of the UN, António Gerteres, opened harsh words for the powers of the world who said “Return Captive of Possil Fuel Personal”.
Allowing global warming to exceed the key benchmark of 1.5 degrees Celsius, laid out in the Paris agreement, would represent a “moral failure and deadly negligence”, Guterres said, warning that “even a temporary overshoot will have dramatic consequences … every fraction of a degree higher means more hunger, displacement and loss”.
Like other Island states, Pacific nations are in the crosshairs of the climate crisis.
Papua New Guinea, located north of Australia, is home to the third largest rainforest in the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Poor, landlocked and prone to natural disasters, PNG is also considered highly vulnerable to the risks of climate change.
Marape said his goals for Cop30 include ensuring fair climate finance for landowners and greater recognition of its forests and oceans. He met with the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio LULA da Silva, in Belém this week.
“We are connecting the Pacific and the Amafic, two of the largest regional forest regions, to address climate change and build sustainable growth,” said Marape.
The Prime Minister called for more cooperation with Brazil in agriculture, energy and technology. He also highlighted PNG’s energy plans, including expanding hydropower and increasing LNG exports to regional markets.
“Png is still young but will rise,” Marape said. “We want to be self-sufficient in energy and support the region with clean hydropower. Our lNG exports to Japan, Korea and Singapore are Energy Seeds.”
Marape also said that PNG would support an Australia-Pacific bid to host Cop31 in 2026. The Prime Minister of Australia, did not plan to attend a Turkil contest with Turkey for hosting rights.
In PNG, environmental groups will be watching the talks closely.
Pamela Avusi from the Port Moresby Environmental Alliance said while Marape has criticized more countries, the government has exacerbated environmental problems through its own actions.
“PNG has already suffered from decades of illegal and unsustainable logging,” Avusi said. “The government must stop these acts that will be taken seriously internationally.”