Papua New Guinea, lauded by Revkin for heroically pressuring the US to save the world from CO2, now denounced by Greenpeace for corruption and illegal logging

PNG: Foreign companies profiting from carbon scams | Green Left Weekly

The government of Papua New Guinea has been awarded Greenpeace’s “Golden Chainsaw” award in response to its corrupt, anti-environment forestry policies.

In a report released on October 25, the environmental advocacy organisation said PNG should not be allowed to take part in the controversial Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) carbon trading program until “safeguards for biodiversity and indigenous and landowners’ rights and ending the corruption and illegal logging” are in place.

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PNG is a leading member of the Coalition of Rainforest Nations, of which Dr Temu’s boss, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, is co-chair. At last year’s climate conference in Bali, Kevin Conrad, PNG’s representative, advanced the REDD plan for paying villagers to leave natural rainforests untouched, gaining global notoriety for challenging the United States to “lead, follow or get out of the way”.

Flashback - Bali Climate Talks - Kevin Conrad - Papua New Guinea - Revkin - NYTimes.com

After a long sequence of polite criticisms from developing countries over the sudden diplomatic logjam at the very end of two draining weeks, it was Mr. Conrad’s turn. “I would ask the United States, we ask for your leadership,” he said. “But if for some reason you’re not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way.”

The room erupted in applause, and within minutes the lead American representative, Paula J. Dobriansky, dropped the objection and said, “We will go forward and join consensus today.”