Haiveta to Marape: Address the Nation’s Concerns or Step Down

 Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has called on G20 nations to enhance their climate mitigation efforts to support the Pacific region, aligning with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. His remarks were made today at the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting in Nuku’alofa, Tonga.

The Prime Minister’s appeal followed a statement by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who highlighted that 80 percent of the global carbon footprint is attributed to G20 nations. Prime Minister Marape directly urged the USA, China, and Japan—three key partners of Pacific nations—to increase their mitigation efforts.

“Australia is contributing $100 million into our Pacific Climate Resilient Fund,” Prime Minister Marape noted, emphasizing the importance of global responsibility in addressing climate change.

In his brief response to the UN Secretary-General’s statement, Prime Minister Marape stressed the critical need for continued global support and reaffirmed the Pacific region's commitment to building a resilient future. He also highlighted the dual role of Pacific nations as both victims of climate change and the world’s largest carbon sink.

“Papua New Guinea, for example, has a negative carbon footprint of over 90 million metric tonnes, courtesy of our tropical rainforests,” he said. The Prime Minister proposed that the region's carbon-cleaning resources be leveraged for debt relief and economic growth, while calling on major carbon emitters to adequately compensate Pacific nations for their forest and ocean carbon sinks.

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Haiveta to Marape: Address the Nation’s Concerns or Step Down