Tonga and Papua New Guinea (PNG) stand to benefit from a three day training organised by the Rocky Mountain Institution Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) in partnership with the Pacific Climate Change Centre to build technical capacity on how to mobilise climate finance in the region, such as the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund The three-day training was organised for financial advisors from 8 countries in the Pacific
The participants from Tonga and PNG completed an open learning course on Access to Climate Finance delivered online by the Pacific Climate Change Centre and their participation were supported unded by the Pacific Climate Change Centre through the DFAT Investment Project on ‘Strengthening the Services of the Pacific Climate Change Centre’.
Tonga’s Tourism Managers, Mr. Pita Tonga (Finance) and Ms. Simata Palu (Planning, Development, and Investment) used the opportunity to formulate project ideas around building climate change resilience for the Tourism sector. They collaborated with the Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN) advisor for Tonga, Mr. Lano Fonua to pitch the idea to develop a ‘Tonga Climate Change Adaptation Pathway Project.’ The plan seeks to establish Tonga’s long term adaptation vision and investment pathway including multi-hazard (climate) analysis of the country, development of adaptation investment Strategy – which will be inclusive of critical sectors such as tourism.
Also supported by the PCCC from PNG was Mr. Julius Wandi and Ms Theresa Wambon-Kambuy from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, who previously collaborated with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) around a project idea for climate proofing infrastructure supporting market access for Agriculture.
The workshop was conducted by the CFAN, Member Initiatives (MI), PCCC, E Co and the Green Global Growth Initiative (GGGI) to strengthen climate finance capacity for the CFAN advisors.
The participants supported by the PCCC had the chance to exchange ideas, dive into new technical knowledge and learn how to develop a project pitch to funders along with the CFAN advisors.
Planning, Development and Investment from Tonga Tourism, Ms Simata e La’a Mapakaitolo said: “The TTAB is grateful for the PCCC for the support in Tonga’s participation at the workshop and will continue to work with Mr. Lano Fonua to pitch a proposal towards climate proofing coastal tourism businesses in Tonga.”
Manager of the Pacific Climate Change Centre, Mrs ‘Ofa Kaisamy said that such support to the countries is aligned to one of the key cross-cutting themes that drives the work of Centre which is on climate finance. The PCCC will continue to provide such support to the countries in the Pacific as part of its capacity building and innovation functions.
The CFAN workshops are planned to be held on an annual basis. They include sessions on adaptation finance; project finance and financial modelling and topics related to communicating with and pitching to donors and funders. The PCCC has been collaborating with the CFAN network to deliver regional and targeted training and capacity building activities related climate finance access and project development. This is part of the SPREPs broader goal of supporting PICTs access more climate related funding to build climate change resilience.
