Papua New Guinea plays a central role in the ongoing saga of REDD. As a founding member of the Coalition for  Rainforest Nations and the instigator, along with Costa Rica, of discussions on RED (then a simpler, deforestation-only, single D idea) at COP 11, PNG is unaccustomed to such prominence in global political debate. The country’s image was further burnished by the interjection of Kevin Conrad in Bali two years ago, when he captured the frustration of the world with the stonewalling US delegation: “If, for some reason, you are unwilling to lead…please, get out of the way.”

Mr Conrad may have become something of a pin-up for followers of the climate negotiations, but it seems that the PNG delegation has lost the faith of its constituency back home. A meeting of rural landowners and civil society groups called by the Eco-Forestry Forum (EFF) last month concluded that the Government was “unprepared” for COP 15. (more…)