9 December 2023, Dubai UAE - The One Pacific Voice at the latest round of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28) in Dubai, UAE, has clearly identified that climate finance is one of the priorities at the ongoing climate change negotiations.
With global temperatures soaring and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reaching unprecedented levels according to the latest IPCC report, climate financing that is easily accessible, new, adequate, sustainable and fit-for-purpose is a key response mechanism for Pacific countries who are placed at the immediate forefront of the climate crisis impacts.
On the margins of COP28 at the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) through the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC), gathered practitioners, policymakers, scientists, academia, private sector and parties with a keen interest in climate finance delivery in Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
SPREP as a Green Climate Fund (GCF) accredited entity is providing assistance to a number of Pacific Island Countries access readiness funds from the GCF. SPREP has also been working with the Solomon Islands, Niue, Nauru, and the Republic of Marshall Islands through their respective GCF National Designated Authority (NDA) to strengthen institutional, fiduciary and policy capacity to improve climate finance access.
Some of these countries have completed their first readiness projects and are into implementing their second readiness support. The support SPREP is providing also goes beyond just the GCF but on climate finance in general and is inclusive of both bilateral and multilateral funding sources.
At COP28, the “Strengthening National Coordination Mechanisms for Effective Climate Finance Delivery in Pacific SIDS” facilitated a talanoa on national coordination mechanisms for effective delivery on climate finance. The session also delved into the question of what accreditation of national entities would mean and if that equals to enhance climate finance access.
Tonga’s Minister of Finance, Honourable Tiofilusi Tiueti who opened the event called for more commitment to pledges for climate finance and support and highlighted the need for global finance institutions to provide more information to allow Pacific countries to understand and access what financing is available.
The Minister also commended SPREP and Pacific countries for the work being done to strengthen mechanisms for access to climate finance in the region.
Other speakers included the Director Cook Islands Climate Change Department, Mr Wayne King, Permanent Secretary of Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Dr Melchior Mataki, Director, Climate Change Programme, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Ms Coral Pasisi, Regional Manager for Latin America, Division of Country Programming Green Climate Fund, Mr Cayetano Casado Gomez Guillamon and SPREP’s Climate Finance Readiness Advisor, Mr Fred Siho Patison.
“At COP28, there is a lot of talk about climate financing, how to access it and what it means for our Pacific communities whose lived reality are the impacts of climate change,” said Mr Fred Siho Patison.
“At PCCC, we are very pleased to be able to assist our Pacific countries in this very broad area which is often complex and complicated. The support SPREP is providing also goes beyond just the GCF but on climate finance in general and is inclusive of both bilateral and multilateral funding sources.
“So, the session at COP28 was very useful in finding out about the successes, challenges and the opportunities to strengthen national coordination mechanisms to ensure that there is effective delivery of climate finance to address their climate change needs and priorities.”
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The Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) is the regional Centre of excellence for climate change information, research, capacity building, and innovation, hosted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Apia, Samoa. As a Centre of excellence, the PCCC is mandated to provide practical information, support, and training to address the adaptation and mitigation priorities of Pacific Island communities.
The PCCC is underpinned by strong partnerships with Pacific Governments, applied research institutions, donors, civil society, and the private sector. The PCCC is a partnership between the Governments of Japan and Samoa. It is funded under grant aid through JICA for Samoa as the host country of SPREP. Additionally, the Centre receives generous funding and support from the Governments of New Zealand, Ireland, and Australia.