Marape calls for fair climate action and stronger forest partnerships at COP30

Papua New Guinea has once again shown strong leadership on climate issues, with Prime Minister James Marape speaking up for forest and ocean nations at the COP30 Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil.

PM Marape called for fair climate funding, stronger global partnerships, and urgent action to protect tropical forests and oceans, which he described as “the lungs of the Earth.”

“For Papua New Guinea, climate adaptation and mitigation is not a choice, it is a matter of survival,” Marape told world leaders at the World Leaders Climate Action Summit.

He said PNG remains fully committed to the Paris Agreement, especially Articles 5 and 6, which support countries that protect forests and take part in regulated carbon markets.

Mr Marape reminded delegates that PNG is home to 35 million hectares of rainforest and 7% of the world’s biodiversity, making it one of the planet’s most important natural guardians.
“Forests and oceans are our greatest allies; they preserve the air, regulate the climate, and sustain life on Earth,” he said.

The Prime Minister thanked the United Nations, France, Australia, the Green Climate Fund, ICRAF, and the Coalition for Rainforest Nations for helping PNG in its conservation efforts.

While in Brazil, Mr Marape also met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation on climate action, food security, renewable energy, and protecting biodiversity.
President Lula described PNG as a “natural partner” in defending the world’s tropical forests.

The two countries also agreed to set up diplomatic missions in each other’s capitals and work together in areas like agriculture, clean energy, and green technology.

Marape proposed a new partnership called the “Pacific-to-Amazon” initiative, linking forest and ocean nations in the Pacific with Latin American countries.

“We are connecting the Pacific and the Amazon, two of the world’s great forest regions, in a common cause for climate and sustainable growth,” Marape said.

At a separate session reviewing the Paris Agreement’s progress, Marape urged rich countries to keep their promises and deliver real financial support to forest nations.

“Our forests deserve proper conservation financing,” he said. “One hectare of conserved forest can save the world far more than any industrial offset.”

Marape backed a new global plan called the Baku–Belém Roadmap, which aims to raise US$1.3 trillion each year by 2035 for developing countries. He also supported the plan’s Five Action Fronts, Replenishing, Rebalancing, Rechanneling, Revamping, and Reshaping, to reform the world’s financial systems for fairer climate funding.

The Prime Minister highlighted PNG’s role as a bridge between the Pacific, ASEAN, and Latin America, and reaffirmed PNG’s carbon-negative status.

He said PNG is committed to stopping deforestation, restoring damaged land, and protecting 30% of its ocean areas from illegal activities.

Under the Earth3 Platform, PNG is developing carbon credit projects that will protect forests and support rural communities with sustainable income.

“If this generation of leaders fails to find real financing solutions for forest nations, history will judge us harshly,” Marape said.

“There is no planet like Earth, rivers, trees, mountains, and oceans sustain life. Mars and Mercury are uninhabitable. This planet is worth fighting for. Let us save it together.”