PLEASE NOTE THAT THE POLICY BOARD APPROVED A TOTAL ALLOCATION OF US$6,335,384 FOR PNG'S FULL NATIONAL PROGRAMME.  THE BUDGET DISTRIBUTION IN THE POLICY BOARD SUBMISSION FORM IS SHOWN IN THE TABLE TO THE RIGHT. THIS WILL BE UPDATED ONCE THE FINAL BUDGET DISTRIBUTION HAS BEEN APPROVED.

The UN-REDD Programme was set up in 2008 to assist tropical forest countries in establishing a fair, equitable and transparent REDD regime. Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the nine pilot countries of the UN-REDD Programme’s initial phase. The proposed National Joint Programme (NJP) for PNG builds on the 2009 draft NJP which has received approval in principle by the Policy Board. It aims to support the Government of PNG to further progress its efforts towards REDD readiness and places heavy emphasis on the development of a Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for PNG, as an important complement to PNG’s domestic climate-change efforts.

PNG has taken a global lead in seeking to combat climate change, particularly by proposing measures to realise the carbon abatement opportunity offered by preserving and sustainably managing tropical forests, i.e. by introducing the concept of REDD-plus into international negotiations. Domestically, PNG is also committed to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. The country’s Vision 2050 envisages low-carbon economic development, aiming to increase per capita GDP by a factor of three by 2030, while maintaining an aspirational goal of net carbon neutrality by 2050.

In order to achieve this goal, PNG has made significant efforts in the past year to further the domestic agenda on climate change:

• The newly established Office of Climate Change and Development (OCCD) provides the institutional structure to coordinate action against climate change in PNG. It supports the whole-of-government National Climate Change Committee in steering climate change policy and reports directly to the Prime Minister.
• A Climate-Compatible Development Strategy (CCDS) sets out the strategic direction for PNG’s action against climate change domestically, with a strong focus on REDD-plus.  The main elements of the draft CCDS and the process for multi-stakeholder consultation have been endorsed by the National Executive Council (NEC). The CCDS is envisaged to be finalised and released in its final form later this year.
• An Interim Action Plan sets out the immediate priorities for action over the next 6-12 months while the CCDS is being finalized.
• This progress frames the efforts over the coming months and years, during which GoPNG will move to implement climate-compatible development, specifically including the following actions related to REDD-plus readiness:
• Mitigation from REDD-plus activities need to be incorporated into national development planning and policies will have to be reviewed to ensure they are climate-compatible.
• Further research and analysis will be required in some areas, such as developing a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory.
• REDD readiness activities will require the development of new capacities in the institutions involved.
• Pilot programs will be required to enhance the knowledge base, identify the most effective institutional arrangements, test the new policies and build capacity.
• A large-scale consultation exercise will need to be launched to involve local communities and landowners in critical elements of the strategy, especially arrangements for benefit sharing.
• A Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system, fund disbursement mechanism and benefit-sharing models that ensure benefits accrue equitably to resource owners will have to be developed.

For more information on the programmatic and techical aspects of this programme, please see the UN-REDD website.