Today, the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and Expertise France have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement climate change-related activities within the framework of the national component of the European Union-funded Forestry-Climate Change-Biodiversity (EU-FCCB) Programme in Papua New Guinea (PNG) over the period 2024-2027.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by representatives from the European Union Delegation to PNG, the Department of National Planning and Monitoring (DNPM), as well as divisional managers and focal points from CCDA and other stakeholder agencies. This MoU marks a significant milestone for CCDA in its efforts to advance the implementation of PNG’s Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and preserve the country’s pristine environment in collaboration with the European Union.
NDCs are essentially climate action plans that outline PNG’s efforts to reduce national greenhouse gams emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
During the signing ceremony, Ms. Debra Sungi, Acting Managing Director of CCDA, expressed her appreciation for the partnership, stating, “I commend the support from Expertise France and the team from CCDA in finalizing the action plan. Now that we have the MoU signed, we can kickstart the implementation. This action plan has been developed through discussions and collaboration from both sides.”
Mr. Alaric Vandenberghe, EU-FCCB National Component Project Manager from Expertise France, acknowledged the leadership of CCDA and the presence of stakeholders at the signing ceremony. He remarked, “We are privileged to partner with CCDA and other government agencies to support the efforts of the Government and People of Papua New Guinea in driving climate actions and environmental protection while advancing the development of a green economy.”
Mr. Floyd Lala from DNPM emphasized the importance of aligning this project with the national sustainable development agenda, particularly with the Medium-Term Development Plan 4 (MTDP-4) Strategic Priority Areas.
Ms. Monica Vazquez Pablo from the EU Delegation to PNG congratulated CCDA and Expertise France congratulated CCDA and Expertise France on establishing this partnership agreement and encouraged stakeholders to maximize the benefits of this collaboration.