This is because the office, according to Eastern Highlands Gov. Malcolm Kela-Smith, is illegal and established without due regard for existing mandates.
It was also established without the input of resource owners, local government councils, district administrations, provincial governments and Members of Parliament.
Kela-Smith said even the National Executive Council decision to establish the office was undertaken without repealing existing legislation or promulgating a community accepted new instrument and ignoring the position of the Forest Policy and the Department of Environment and Conservation.
He said it seemed that the establishment of the OCCCT was internationally driven rather than domestic, with the prospects of substantial amounts of money that could be received sd the driving force.
“We have already witnessed the issuing of trading licenses by Dr. Theo Yasause (OCCCT executive director) to unknown entities even though he did not have the mandate to do so,” Kela-Smith said.
“The office had no power to demand fees, collect money or do anything else. It has no statutory basis and had acted unlawfully in unilaterally declaring that licenses would be issued at its sole discretion,” Kela-Smith said.
“Dr. Yasause also intended to prepare draft legislation to establish a climate change authority to operate as a corporate entity. This corporate entity would have a three-tier advisory board comprising a technical advisory board, national advisory board and an international advisory board; all are poorly considered,” he said.
However, he said what was more alarming was the proposition that all revenue would be managed by the international advisory board.
“This is not acceptable, either domestically or internationally. This is landowner income and the landowners should receive at least 85-90 percent of the carbon trading contract price — not in cash but infrastructure development in their areas,” Kela-Smith said.
“I suggest that OCCCT be disbanded and the office of climate change be placed under the jurisdiction of DEC and carbon trading placed under Forestry with special emphasis on consultation with districts and MPs, provincial governments, local government councils and landowners.” There is no need for a new entity,” he added.
