Papua New Guinea at COP30: Protecting Our Beautiful Forest

UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) 30 was held between the 10th and the 22nd of November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, Papua New Guinea (PNG) made a powerful call for global action to protect tropical forests and ensure fair climate finance for forest nations.

Key Highlights from PNG’s COP30 Agenda:
Prime Minister James Marape urged equitable access to climate funds for forest nations. Proposed a Pacific-to-Amazon Partnership to unite tropical forest countries in climate action. Committed to zero deforestation, restoring degraded lands, and protecting 30% of marine areas.

Innovative Moves:
Advancing Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) carbon credit programs under new global standards for transparency and community benefits. Partnering with Brazil on forest conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture.

The Message:
Forests benefit the entire world, but the cost of protecting them falls on forest nations. PNG is calling for financial mechanisms that recognize the true economic value of nature.

JICA has been working with the PNG Forest Authority （PNGFA） to protect PNG’s forests since 2011, particularly focusing on the Planning, Monitoring and Control Procedure （PMCP） and the Logging Code of Practice （LCoP） in the forestry industry. JICA also assigned a new forestry expert this month who will concentrate on strengthening the institutional capacity of PNGFA for sustainable forest management and REDD+ implementation.