Climate Change is a situation whereby the earth and its inhabitants are experiencing a change of weather pattern from what it used to be previously through unexpected changes in weather that causes damaging effect to the earth’s inhabitants and its flora and fauna as a result of global warming  facilitated by increased level of carbon dioxide (Co2) and other pollution gases into the earth’s atmosphere.

The earth’s climate has always changed and evolved overtime. Some of these changes have been due to natural causes but others can be attributed to human activities such as deforestation from logging activities, and to atmospheric emissions, from, industry and transport, which have led to gases and aerosols being stored in the atmosphere.

These gases are known as greenhouse gases (GHGs) because they trap heat and raise air temperatures near the ground, acting like a greenhouse on the surface of the planet.

(a) Change in weather pattern;
(b) Affect change in rainfall pattern and our water resources;
(c) Affect our agriculture and food security;
(d) Affect human health - changes in the distribution of disease vectors may put more people at risk of disease such as malaria and dengue fever;
(e) PNG’s terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity is put to threat;
(f) Rising heat temperatures can be felt throughout the country;
(g) Increase rate of extinction for many habitats and species;
(h) Increase in sea level will cause smaller atolls to sink underwater, greater risk of storm surge, inundation and sea damage to coastlines; and, also
(i) Non tidal wetlands (swamps and lakes) will be reduced in its size and depth; etc.

Papua New Guinea has already experienced the effects of climate change. The sinking of Caterets islands in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Duke of York Island in East New Britain, the impact of Aitape Sunami in Sandaun Province and Cyclone Guba in Oro province are a clear example of the effects of climate change.

The change in weather pattern experienced throughout the country is also, a cause of this effect. Rain and wind pattern has changed unpredictably, droughts in parts of PNG, hail storm in the Highlands Provinces, flooding in Morobe and Oro province and increase heat temperature from the sun, and the diminishing  of shoreline as experienced in the Siar village seafront in Madang Province and other coastal villages around the country are all part and parcel of the effects of climate change and greenhouse effect currently happening in Papua New Guinea.

To counter the effect of climate change, the National Government has come up with four (4) Main Work Programmes that PNG will adopt to address this problem. The Office of Climate Change, Environmental Sustainability & Carbon Trade has being given the mandate to ensure the following four main work programmes are achieved to counter the effect of climate change and greenhouse effect in the country and to achieve the Government’s objective of carbon neutrality by 2050 while growing the GDP by 1000%.

This Main Work Programs include:
(a) Adaptation;
(b) Mitigation;
(c) Technology; and
(d) Financing.