A PAPUA New Guinean proposal to combat climate change by paying countries to stop chopping down rainforest is gaining international momentum. PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare has been championing the idea, which was yesterday debated at the UN climate conference under way in Montreal.
The proposal to allocate carbon allowances to developing countries that combat deforestation was welcomed by Canada and Britain, along with Brazil where forest loss is a huge problem.
The joint PNG-Costa Rican proposal to the conference suggested that tropical nations that slow the rate of deforestation might win cash incentives from rich nations to encourage better management and more tree plantings.
The conference agreed to study the proposal and report back in a year's time.
Meanwhile, the Kyoto protocol, aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions, became fully operational yesterday when the climate conference adopted its final rules.
The 34 signatory countries -- which do not include the United States or Australia -- passed the final regulatory measures by consensus at the conference.
Kyoto was negotiated in 1997 and formally entered into force last February.
However, it could not come into operation until after the formal adoption of the rulebook, which was drawn up over the past four years.
The signatories hammered out a mechanism for trading pollution rights.
The final rules also eased pollution standards by allowing countries to take into account carbon dioxide produced by growing trees.