European Commissioner for Climate Action & Energy to attend the 46th Pacific Islands Forum

The European Union Delegation to Papua New Guinea has the pleasure to announce the attendance of the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Mr Miguel Arias Cañete to the 46th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting to be held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from 7 to 11 September, 2015.
The EU Commissioner will lead the European Union Delegation to the PIF Meeting, including delegates from the European Commission in Brussels and Ambassadors of European Union Delegations across the Pacific region. The EU is a long standing ally of the Pacific on the climate change issues and the Commissioner Arias Cañete is committed to make this partnership even stronger in the run up to Climate Change negotiations in Paris in December. To this end he will give a keynote address to the Pacific Leaders at a special Session on Climate Change.
Furthermore, the EU Commissioner will sign 'Energy Declarations' with six Pacific countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Tonga), in order to help accelerate
the national energy objectives for all these countries as well as to increase their sustainable energy access.
Commissioner Arias Cañete will also attend the launching of a video of an EU-funded project that supports
the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority to implement a continuous and multi-purpose National Forest
Inventory, in order to significantly strengthen sustainable forestry management as well as to mitigate the
serious risk that Climate Change poses on this region.
In the lead-up to discussions at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Conference in December in Paris, the European Union itself has taken a commitment to reduce by at least 40
percent its domestic Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 in comparison to 1990. The EU welcomes the
initiative of the Government of Papua New Guinea which has started the process to determine the
greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitment that will be proposed before Paris, in line with the
Government's commitment of halving GHG emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The signing of the 11th European Development Fund Regional Indicative Programme for the Pacific and the
National Indicative Programme on 16 June in Suva was a milestone for EU cooperation with the Pacific.
Regional economic integration, sustainable management of natural resources, inclusive and accountable
governance, and the respect for human rights will be the priority areas for the Pacific region. Support to
Papua New Guinea under the 11th European Development Fund will focus on sustainable rural energy
development including strengthening rural electrification.
Finally, it is hoped that Commissioner Arias Cañete will meet with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea,
Hon. Peter O'Neill to further strengthen EU-PNG relations amongst other Pacific and local dignitaries in the
margins of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Photo and Media Release. European Union