Guterres Praises Papua New Guinea's Global Climate Leadership

Melbourne, Sep 3 (AP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres applauded Papua New Guinea for its influential role in global climate change leadership during his historic visit as the first serving UN chief to the South Pacific island nation.

Guterres' visit precedes the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea's independence from Australia, which will be celebrated on September 16.

In his address to the National Parliament in Port Moresby, he praised Papua New Guinea for teaching the world valuable lessons. “The first lesson is the art of forging consensus through dialogue,” he noted.

He continued, “The second lesson is your bold climate action. Time and again, we've seen climate leadership emanate from countries directly experiencing the severe effects, rather than those with the most resources.”

Guterres highlighted Papua New Guinea's leading role in initiating the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion, issued in July, regarding legal obligations of countries to combat climate change. The court's non-binding opinion, supported by its 15 judges, suggests nations could face compensations for failing to protect against climate change.

This landmark decision, driven by Vanuatu and supported by over 130 countries, is a pivotal moment in international climate law, and Guterres acknowledged the leadership of Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region in this effort.

He further noted, “Papua New Guinea is not a contributor to climate change—it's a carbon sink, with your forests and seagrass absorbing more carbon dioxide than your population emits.”

However, Guterres omitted mention of Papua New Guinea's liquid natural gas exports, which began in 2014, and the nation's plans to expand its fossil fuel industry.

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape responded to Guterres's address, pledging that the country's “development pathway will be green, resilient, and inclusive.” Marape emphasized the responsibility of major carbon-emitting countries to address climate change, criticizing President Donald Trump's withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement.

Paul Barker, head of the Port Moresby-based think tank Institute of National Affairs, pointed out that Papua New Guinea's efficacy as a carbon sink might have been diminished due to extensive rainforest logging. “It's a complex narrative with uncertain data regarding land use changes,” Barker added.

Notably, Papua New Guinea, with nearly 12 million people, is the most populous country in the South Pacific after Australia, which has 27 million. However, a comprehensive census has not been conducted since 2000.

The nation is home to an incredibly diverse population, boasting over 800 indigenous languages. (AP) SKS GSP

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