PNG landowners, government at loggerheads over carbon trading

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| Sourced From Radio Australia |

Papua New Guinea landowners have called on the government to understand climate change and carbon trading before it makes any concrete decisions. The issue of carbon trading is causing friction between the Papua New Guinea government and local landowners.

PNG’s new climate change office says all future carbon trading deals will be done through the government.

But 90 per cent of PNG land is owned by its people, and Ken Mondiai, a spokesman for landowners angry about the plan, says the government doesn’t understand the scheme.

“At this early point in time when the office of climate change is not fully set up, and even he does not understand climate change and carbon trade,” he said.

“When someone doesn’t know anything about this subject matter, it’s too early to go out and say hw much you want to give to the landowners.”