Diamond urges business fraternity to lead conservation efforts

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea: WORLD renowned American scientist Jared Diamond will call on the business fraternity to play a greater role in the protection and conservation of the environment with the rising global concerns on climate change.

Jared Diamond won the Pulitzer Prize for his book "Guns, Germs, and Steel" (1997) and is a biologist, ornithologist and Professor of Geography at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Professor Diamond will deliver a Public lecture on “Business and Environment” at the Port Moresby Holiday Inn on Friday evening starting at 6.00 pm.

He will speak on how business can play an active role in protecting the environment and dealing with global threats such as climate change while also making a profit.

Professor Diamond is in PNG to continue his 43 year history of environmental investigations. On Friday he will return from a month long visit to the TransFly region in the south of Western Province and the Kikori River Basin in Gulf and Southern Highlands Provinces.

Prof Diamond was guest of honour at the launch of three new Wildlife Management Areas in the TransFly which extend Tonda WMA to 1, 300 829.80 hectares.

With Diamond is expert bird guide David Bishop who has made about 20 trips to the region and compiled bird reports for a number of conservations organizations.

This public presentation is jointly organized by WWF-PNG, PNG Institute of National Affairs and Oil Search (PNG) Ltd.

For further information please contact the media team:
Lydia Kaia, Communications Officer, WWF Papua New Guinea. t: +675 320 0149, f: +675 320 0519.
Robert Bino , Conservation Strategies Manager, WWF Papua New Guinea. t: +675 320 0149, m: +675 689 3259.

Editors Notes:
WWF has been working in PNG since 1995. Our work focuses on linking community action, science and effective policy to ensure the protection and sustainable use of natural resources across the island of New Guinea.

• Carbon emissions into the atmosphere are the main cause of global climate change that is affecting us all
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has declared that the global loss of forests is responsible for 20% of the carbon that goes into the world’s atmosphere
• New Guinea’s forests are among the largest tracts of relatively undisturbed rainforest in the Asia Pacific and the third largest in the world and are an important storage bank for carbon
• Forest conservation and certified forestry can prevent the release of carbon and slow down climate change
• High quality images of PNG wildlife and forests are available on request