PNG Environmental Alliance provides civil society voice on environmental issues
Success Stories September 28, 2023
In Papua New Guinea (PNG), civil society groups play a crucial role in raising awareness of environmental issues, providing policy and legislative positions, and advocating for transparency and accountability in the environment sector. PNG’s civil society groups help ensure the country’s natural resources are used sustainably to benefit all its people now and into the future. However, since the demise of the PNG ECO Forestry Forum Inc, environmental civil society groups in PNG have operated without a mechanism to consolidate advocacy positions in a collective and coordinated way on important environmental issues. USAID recognizes that strong civil society organizations (CSOs) are a cornerstone of robust democracies. In PNG, USAID’s PNG Lukautim Graun Program supported a years-long process for civil society groups in PNG to establish a new environmental CSO peak body organization called the PNG Environment Alliance or PNGEA that helps consolidate environmental advocacy positions and strengthen CSOs across the country. Now legally registered, the PNG Environmental Alliance has drafted its constitution, is recruiting a permanent coordinator, and is already active on priority environmental issues such as timber illegalities and climate change, both looming threats to the resilience of communities across PNG. Since PNGEA was established, it has successfully advocated a number of national government policy decisions concerning the country’s environment. In October 2021, the PNGEA assessed logging activities at the Tenkile proposed conservation area in PNG’s West Sepik Province. Following the assessment, PNGEA issued a press statement that was published in the media condemning the illegal logging practices there and petitioned the government to take action.
“We took further steps to write a petition which was presented in Parliament [PNG National Parliament] by Oro Governor, Hon. Gary Juffa. As a result, logging activities at Tenkile proposed conservation area have stopped,” said Pamela Avusi, PNGEA Coordinator.
“This is one of the positive outcomes we achieved. Authorities are beginning to take heed of our existence and what we are saying,” she said.
In June 2022, PNGEA wrote to the PNG government questioning its policy on all Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) projects, followed by another letter to the PNG Climate Change and Environment Minister calling for a moratorium on VCM. The government has since placed a moratorium on all VCM projects. Also, in June last year, PNGEA wrote to the Forest Minister to investigate the connection between the Climate Change Development Authority (CCDA) and New Ireland Hardwood Timbers (CCDA-NIHT).
“Following the release of our media statement in October last year [2022], we got the response early this year [2023], requesting us to continue further consultation with the Minister’s office and the department. We submitted another letter on our discussion for CCDA to review the draft Regulations, which they are yet to respond to,” said Miss Avusi, PNGEA Coordinator.
USAID support of civil society groups helped establish the PNG Environment Alliance, an environmental advocacy platform that works with civil society groups across PNG to consolidate and prioritize advocacy campaigns. The communication connections created directly respond to issues arising at the nexus of biodiversity conservation, economic development, and community resilience while promoting transparency and democracy.
The PNG EA current members include: Bismarck Ramu Group, Centre for Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR), Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Committee (CIMC), FORCERT (Forests for Certain – Forests for Life), Institute of National Affairs (INA), PNG Council of Churches (PNGCC) Research Conservation Foundation (RCF), Wildlife Conservation Society PNG (WCS PNG) and Bread for the World (BftW).
