Alotau, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, October 2, 2020.

The Milne Bay Provincial Administration, Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change & Development Authority (CCDA), the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) held a consultation with provincial stakeholders with an aspiration to creating a climate-resilient and green growth pathway for its environment, people and its economy.

Guided by its partnership with the CCDA and GGGI that was launched in October 2019, the Milne Bay Province successfully completed the three-day event abiding with the ‘new normal’ (Tok Pisin – niupela pasin) measures from September 29 to October 1, 2020.

The Climate Resilient and Green Growth (CRGG) Project is funded by the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership and is implemented by GGGI with guidance from CCDA, Department of National Planning & Monitoring (DNPM), and Department of Provincial & Local Government Affairs (DPLGA). The CRGG assessment and identification of provincial CRGG priorities are activities under this project.

The events involved technical discussions on the impacts of climate change on the environment, people, and economy of the province and attracted technical advisors in key sectors in the province to discuss the diagnostic results of CRGG assessment of Milne Bay Province.

The specialists on CRGG from GGGI, TNC, and CSIRO used a data-driven approach to prioritize different issues in Milne Bay Province. This workshop is a hybrid of participatory activities as well as virtual presentations delivered by GGGI and CSIRO Specialists. It involved women from the tourism, arts, crafts, and community based environmental and natural resource management interventions who actively contributed to the assessment. The workshops ensured provincial stakeholders in Milne Bay determined where the province is at on elements of socially inclusive Green Growth and Climate Resilience. Hence it assisted the province in its planning purpose and development aspiration.

Mr. Ruel Yamuna, Managing Director of CCDA mentioned in his opening remarks at the workshop that “CCDA is delivering on its commitment to seeing PNG taking progressive steps to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 by putting into action a Climate Response Roadmap 2020-2030. This now ensures various stakeholders who are developing or implementing mitigation and adaptation activities in the country are kept on the right track to achieving SDG 13 by 2030.”

These CRGG assessments provide guidance for provinces like Milne Bay to keep their actions on climate mitigation and adaption projects at the community level.

“Australia is proud to be working closely with the Government of PNG and other key stakeholders to build a climate-resilient economy and communities,” Australian High Commission Second Secretary Dr. Kimberly Layton said. The Climate Resilient Green Growth Project is one of the many activities we are supporting to build resilience and contribute to achieving PNG’s SDG 13 targets by 2030.”

Provincial Administrator of Milne Bay Ashan Numa acknowledged that enhancing the climate resilience of Milne Bay’s economy is vital.

“Milne Bay province is fortunate to be selected as one of the pilot provinces for GGGI-Climate Resilience Green Growth, Australian Government-funded project. We hope to benefit from the project through effective integration of climate resilience and green growth interventions into development planning such as our provincial developmental plans and greening the Alotau city through embedding CRGG vision into our urban development plan.”

“These stakeholder consultations and the Provincial Climate Change Committee (PCCC) meetings are great opportunities for the province to own and lead the work GGGI is doing in the province.  GGGI looks forward to developing climate resilience, environmentally sustainable, and socially inclusive economic responses together with all the stakeholders in Milne Bay” said Dr. Achala Abeysinghe, GGGI Country Representative in PNG.

By conducting the assessments and selecting CRGG priorities for Milne Bay Province over these 3 days, the Provincial Climate Change Advisory Committee in Milne Bay Province is leading by example in Papua New Guinea to creating a climate-resilient and socially inclusive green growth pathway for its environment, people and its economy.

About the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)

Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization that supports governments of developing countries to transition to a model of economic growth that is environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive. GGGI delivers programs in over 30 partner countries with technical support, capacity building, policy planning & implementation, and by helping to build a pipeline of bankable green investment projects. More on GGGI’s events, projects, and publications can be found on www.gggi.org. You can also follow GGGI on Twitter and join us on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Local GGGI communications contact
Dr. Achala Abeysinghe, Country Representative, Papua New Guinea
achala.abeysinghe@GGGI.org