Minister Kilepa commend ABG Environment Committee

From (L-R) ABG Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Junior Tumare, Minster for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Simo Kilepa and First Secretary to Minister Kilepa, Motsy David in Port Moresby (Supplied)

The Environment Committee for the Autonomous Bougainville Government [ABG] were commended for their commitment towards mitigating climate change.

Minster for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Simo Kilepa said ABG's commitment started when they reached agreement with Climate Change Development Authority [CCDA] for mutual corporation.

Minister Kilepa said ABG now ready to launch its own road map through Blue Green Economy Policy.

He said his office is committed to assist ABG on matters relating to climate change especially in the areas of environment and conservation which comes under Conservation and Environment Protection Authority [CEPA].

“We will ensure that the corporation is extended in areas of conservation as well, so that whatever is done on Bougainville in areas of climate change is known to the state agencies and vise-versa,” said Minister Kilepa.

Minister Kilepa was privilege to have ABG Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Junior Tumare visited his office for a courtesy call on Wednesday this week.

Minister Tumare said ABG in the space of a year has consulted its line agencies of government and has concluded its first Climate Change policy document.

“We are excited that we will be launching the Blue and Green policy in November this year,” Tumare said.

He added that the ABG is committed to ensuring that it is part and partial of the discussions regarding climate and environment.

“Our people are resilient people and cocoa in terms of commercial agriculture is putting a lot of money into their pockets, we on the other hand are trying our best to educate them on how they can be responsible when cutting down huge vegetation for the exercise,” He added.

Meanwhile, Bougainville and its surrounding atolls are sensitive to environment matters, past involving the Pangu mine and more recently the climate refugees of Carteret islands.

Minister Kilepa has made a commitment to work closely with the ABG on policy and regulation matters going forward.