Papua New Guinea (PNG) will not attend the upcoming COP29 climate summit, making a strong statement against the global community’s lack of action on climate change.
This was announced by Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko after attending the Commonwealth Ministerial Meeting on Small States (CMMSS) in Samoa.
PNG, along with other small island nations, is frustrated with the lack of meaningful support from larger nations and will use this boycott as a form of protest.
Minister Tkatchenko emphasized that PNG’s decision represents the struggles of all small island nations.
He said, “Papua New Guinea is making this stand for the benefit of all small island nations.”
“We will no longer tolerate empty promises and inaction while our people suffer the devastating consequences of climate change.”
PNG has often been at the forefront of international climate discussions, but according to Tkatchenko, little has come from these high-level meetings, especially in terms of real help.
By standing with other small nations, PNG is refusing to be part of a process that has failed to deliver meaningful change.
The decision not to attend COP29 comes from growing frustration over the repeated failure of the international community to live up to its promises.
Small nations like PNG contribute very little to global emissions but are suffering the most from climate change impacts, such as rising sea levels, floods, droughts, landslides, and other natural disasters.
“Despite continuous attempts, we have not received a single toea in support to date,” Minister Tkatchenko said, expressing deep disappointment with the lack of financial support for small nations struggling to adapt to climate change.
Tkatchenko also condemned the difficulty in accessing climate finance, which has left countries like PNG to fend for themselves despite being hit hardest by the effects of climate change.
He added that while major polluters have made numerous pledges, these promises remain unfulfilled.
“The pledges made by major polluters amount to nothing more than empty talk.”
“They impose impossible barriers for us to access the crucial funds we need to protect our people,” he said.