Papua New Guinea (PNG) has both very low absolute emissions and relatively low per capita emissions. The nation is, however, committed to also be a responsible global citizen contributes meaningfully to the reduction of global emissions by transitioning to a low carbon economy. PNG shares the deep concerns of its nearby Pacific Island neighbours in terms of existential threats to some of the more vulnerable low lying countries. In addition there are the same existential threats to coastal and low lying areas of PNG itself.
In Papua New Guinea, interviews were conducted remotely with participants from government departments, agencies and contractors addressing issues of environmental protection, waste management, legal matters, as well as the private sector and NGOs.
Additional interviews were conducted with external consultants and SPREP staff working on specific programs relevant to the Waste Legislative Review.
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a country emblematic of the challenges facing developing rainforest nations in the Global South. Despite its rich natural resources (recent surveys indicate that between 50% and 70% of the country’s 46.4 million hectares remain covered with largely undisturbed lowland rainforest) and a relatively stable political climate, the country remains extremely poor, with an estimated 40% of the population living on less than $1 a day (Allen, 2010; AusAID, 2010; Shearman et al, 2010; UNDP, 2006).
In 2003 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) commenced a project titled “Protecting Coral Reefs from Destructive Fishing Practices: Protecting and Managing Reef Fish Spawning Aggregations in the Pacific”. The goal of this project is to significantly reduce the degradation of coral reef ecosystems in the Pacific region from destructive fishing practices,