Historic First Climate Summit Signals Shift Toward Climate-Responsive Budgeting in PNG
8 December 2025
Historic First Climate Summit Signals Shift Toward Climate-Responsive Budgeting in PNG
8 December 2025
Papua New Guinea has opened its first-ever national climate investment summit, marking a historic moment in the country’s efforts to strengthen climate governance and climate-responsive development planning. The event brings together government leaders, development partners and climate experts to set a coordinated national direction as PNG accelerates its adaptation and mitigation agenda.
This is part of the PNG Investment Week 2025 hosted by the PNG Chamber of Resources & Energy (PNG CORE).
Delivering the keynote address, National Energy Authority Managing Director and chairman of the newly constituted National Climate Change Board, Ronald Maketa, said the summit came at a pivotal time. He noted that the inaugural board was formally appointed this year after a decade of waiting, representing a major breakthrough in PNG’s climate governance framework. The new board now provides the highest level of statutory oversight for climate action.
Maketa highlighted several reforms underway, including the introduction of climate-responsive budgeting for the 2025–2026 fiscal cycle. For the first time, climate and disaster risks are being systematically integrated into national economic decisions—from capital works and revenue strategies to expenditure controls—ensuring long-term resilience and fiscal stability.
The Government has also introduced climate risk screening tools for major infrastructure, aimed at protecting public investments, improving safety and supporting modernisation of energy and digital systems.
Maketa emphasised PNG’s growing focus on renewable energy, including solar mini-grids, upgraded hydropower, geothermal potential, clean cooking technologies and early preparation for electric mobility. PNG is positioning itself to tap emerging opportunities in green hydrogen and green ammonia as global markets shift toward decarbonisation.
On forests, Maketa reaffirmed PNG’s status as a global leader in conservation, with the lifting of the carbon project moratorium enabling participation in regulated carbon markets and initiatives such as Reef Plus, offering significant revenue potential.
He said PNG now stands at a critical crossroads and called for deeper collaboration and investment to build a climate-resilient, prosperous future.
Read more in your Post Courier Newspaper on Tuesday – December 09 2025.
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Our friendly team is here to guide you every step of the way. Simply email us at events@pngcore.org for personalised support and a smooth registration experience.