MSG countries on track to implement their sub-regional climate finance strategy

26 June 2019

The Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) Secretariat in close partnership with the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) successfully hosted a Side Event on the MSG needs-based Climate Finance Strategy 2019-2021 for the MSG members (Fiji, PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) on 24 June in Bonn Germany, at the margins of UNFCCC’s 50th Sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies.

The Director General of the MSG Secretariat Ambassador Amena Yauvoli expressed his appreciation to the MSG members for taking ownership of the Strategy and demonstrating leadership in producing their collective needs-based Climate Finance Strategy. The Climate Finance Strategy provides a sub-regional framework for national climate finance action in Melanesia.

After showcasing the Climate Finance Strategy at the side event, the MSG countries met with the representatives of potential partner organizations and implementing agencies on 25 June to discuss the best way to collaborate and implement the MSG Climate Finance Strategy in a Dialogue with Partners. 

The Dialogue focused on how the partners may support the sub-region in adopting new and innovative financing instruments for climate projects, designing a regional financing vehicle and utilising carbon finance and emissions trading, among others. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Environment Facility (GEF), GIZ, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Climate Action UK were among the partners who attended the event and shared their insights on the next step forward implementing the MSG Climate Finance Strategy.

The MSG Secretariat was represented by Mr. Stanley Wapot, Program Manager of Sustainable Development. Both the Side Event and the Partners’ Dialogue were closely supported by the Climate Finance team of the UNFCCC Secretariat.

The events were attended by the MSG members comprising Mr. Hudson Kauhiona, (Director Climate Change, Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology); Mr. Vineil Narayan (Climate Finance Advisor, Fiji Ministry of Economy); Mr. Jonah Auka (Adaptation Manager and Green Climate Fund, GCF Focal Point, Climate Change and Development Authority, Papua New Guinea); Mr. Mike Waiwai (Director Climate Change, Vanuatu Ministry of Climate Change), Tony Kaltong (Vanuatu Finance Ministry) engaging with an international audience including development partners.

The Climate Finance Strategy contains 6 strategic areas and actions under each strategic area having been identified by the MSG countries and partner organizations at NBF technical workshops held in August 2018 and April 2019. These reflect the result of multiple consultations with national experts from the four MSG countries over the past year.

The next phase of the Climate Finance Strategy is to engage effectively with various Partners towards the implementation of the priority adaptation and mitigation projects for the sub-region identified by the MSG countries. The priority areas for climate finance for the sub-region include the following:

 – Adaptation – food security, land degradation, forests, agriculture, fisheries and marine resources, climate resilient infrastructure, water and sanitation and health; and 
 – Mitigation – forests, agriculture, renewable energy and energy efficiency

The MSG countries, under the leadership of the MSG Secretariat, plan to take concrete steps to implement the actions contained in the Climate Finance Strategy and report on the progress made at the 25th Conference of the Parties to UNFCCC to be held in December 2019.

For more information please contact: Christopher Waiwori – Senior Executive Officer