WHO WE ARE

The Papua New Guinea Biodiversity and Climate Fund (PNG BCF or The Fund) was established in 2022 with funding provided through a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) GEF-6 project to address the growing challenge of biodiversity loss and climate change in the country. The establishment of the Fund builds on the priorities outlined in the Government’s Protected Area Bill (2020) and the Climate Change Management Bill (2020). Those bills establish long-term sustainable financing strategies for protected area management and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

During a 3-5 year transition period, the Fund will be housed within the UNDP country office in PNG. During this time, the staff and Board will build experience in managing a Conservation Trust Fund; the Fund will then move to a fully independent legal structure.

The Fund was established through a multi-stakeholder consultation process. Reports from the design phase can be found in Documents and Resources.

The Fund’s operating principles are

Generating support from multiple donors

Building partnerships for success

Following financial best practice

Promoting new ideas and approaches

Sharing processes and results

Free from individual stakeholder control

Providing grants to local implementers

Learning from experience

MISSION

The mission of the PNG Biodiversity and Climate Fund is to catalyze financial and technical resources to enable present and future generations of Papua New Guineans to restore, protect, and enhance the country’s biodiversity and build resilience in the face of climate change.

PURPOSE

The PNG BCF will mobilize and manage funding and channel financial resources and technical assistance to conserve biodiversity and address climate change.

The Fund will be guided by six objectives:
two primary objectives with another four objectives that are complementary.

a primary objectives are:

Photo Credit: Jayne Jenkins / Ocean Image Bank
Promoting and supporting effective and sustainable management of existing and future protected areas and other key biodiversity areas through practical conservation measures
Photo Credit: Elodie van Lierde
Fostering climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives, focusing on nature/ecosystem-based solutions

These are supported by the following complementary objectives:

Photo Credit: Elodie van Lierde
Supporting sustainable development activities that deliver conservation outcomes and climate benefits and contribute to the economic well-being of the people of PNG - including customary landowners - while lessening the dependence on activities that degrade the environment
Photo Credit: Elodie van Lierde
Increasing knowledge and understanding of biodiversity and climate issues by raising public awareness, promoting environmental education, and supporting field-based research including appropriate consideration of traditional knowledge
Photo Credit: Elodie van Lierde
Building the capacity of local stakeholders to manage and implement biodiversity, climate, and economic development projects carried out in harmony with conservation objectives
Photo Credit: Elodie van Lierde
Supporting the country’s efforts to meet its national, regional, and global conservation and climate commitments

GOVERNANCE

The Fund is governed by a 13-member Board who oversee the Executive Director, approve policies, set the strategy and direction for the Fund, and approve grants. The Board includes representatives from civil society and Government.

Development
Partners

Mr. Dirk Wagener (Chair)
Resident Representative
United Nations Development Programme – Papua New Guinea

His Excellency, Mr. Keith Scott
British High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea

Government of
Papua New Guinea

Mr. William Lakain
Acting Managing Director
Climate Change Development Authority

Nongovernmental
Organizations / Civil Society

Ms. Sarah Stocks (Secretary)
Deputy Chief of Party – USAID PNG Biodiversity Program

Ms. Stacy O’Nea
Managing Partner
EMB Business Consultants

Private
Sector

Mr. Rupert Bray
Managing Director
Steamships Trading Company
 

Mr. Paul Sayer
Chief Executive Officer
Nambawan Super Fund

SECRETARIAT TEAM

The Secretariat is based in Port Moresby and is led by the Executive Director. The Secretariat manages the day-to-day operations of the Fund and implements the Fund’s strategies. During the three-to-five year start-up period, the Secretariat is based in UNDP’s PNG office and operates with technical and administrative support from UNDP.

Executive Director

(to be hired)

Zola Sangga 

Programme Manager

Finance Manager

(to be hired)

ADVISORY TEAM

Dr. Andrew Rylance
Chief Technical Advisor
United Nations Development Programme

Patricia Kila
National Stakeholder Engagement Officer
UNDP GEF 6 Project

Kay Kumaras Kalim
Director for Sustainable Environment Programs Division
PNG Conservation and Environment Protection Authority

Theresa Dearden
Technical Lead, Natural Resource Management Hub
United Nations Development Programme

Ray Victurine
Director, Conservation Finance Program
Wildlife Conservation Society

Katy Mathias
Conservation Finance Project Manager
Wildlife Conservation Society

OUR LOGO

The PNG Biodiversity and Climate Fund logo was designed through a multi-stakeholder engagement process to encapsulate Papua New Guineans’ pride in their natural heritage. The cassowary stands proudly and in attention in our logo. It is one of PNG’s native keystone species, and these flightless birds play a critical role in maintaining the diversity of our rainforests. In our logo, the cassowary is formed by illustrations of PNG’s leatherback turtle, the tree kangaroo, the ebony tree, the bird of paradise, water, mountains, the sea, and a child wearing a traditional headdress, completed with a kina shell on the cassowary’s breast. As a whole with all of the illustrations combined, and using a colour palette that represents the forests and sea, our brand is a powerful symbol that signifies the life-giving connection of land, water, sea, animals, plants and people. Take one out and the connection is broken and severed, leaving a hole that is impossible to fill.