Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister, James Marape, has announced he will not attend the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, citing “a lack of global commitment to rainforest conservation.”
Instead, Environment Minister Simo Kilepa will lead a streamlined delegation focused on advocating for PNG’s bid to host the Green Climate Fund Board meeting next year.
“Papua New Guinea is a major rainforest nation, and we are making our stance clear by protesting against these nations who do not prioritise rainforest conservation,” Marape said, criticising high-emission countries for failing to uphold the Paris Agreement’s provisions for carbon sinks and international cooperation on carbon markets.
“We need real sponsors of rainforest conservation, not just rhetoric,” he added. “The world must take rainforest conservation seriously as a cornerstone of climate action.”
Marape expressed hope that COP30, to be held in Brazil, would prioritize rainforests’ role in climate action, saying, “Papua New Guinea has sent our apologies to the COP29 organisers and reiterates our call for more meaningful action.”