Improved ability to access climate change finance is a priority for the Solomon Islands, and this week representatives from government ministries, non-governmental organisations and the private sector are meeting in Honiara to contribute to the Solomon Islands Climate Change and Disaster Risk Finance Assessment.

The assessment will focus on the practical application of options for improved access to, and management of, climate change and disaster risk finance for the Solomon Islands, who is the seventh Pacific Island country to undertake an assessment of this kind.

A joint assessment team comprising the Solomon Islands Government, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the Pacific Community (SPC), including SPC’s Social Development Program, and GIZ will be consulting with a broad range of stakeholders over the next two weeks.

Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Dr Melchior Mataki said during the opening day “this assessment will provide an opportunity to agree on a national definition of climate finance and inform the country how to better access and manage climate and disaster risk finance resources.”.

The assessment and resulting report and recommendations will identify opportunities to develop or update relevant policies and plans, strengthen human capacity, enhance institutional coordination and ensure that cross-cutting issues like gender and social inclusion are mainstreamed and supported.

This is beneficial not only to support improved and direct access to international climate finance mechanisms, but will also enhance donor confidence and utilisation of country systems more broadly.

The assessment comes at an important time, with climate financing again at the forefront of discussion at the recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) in Marrakesh and the upcoming Green Climate Fund Board Meeting being held in Apia, Samoa in December.

The Solomon Islands Ministry for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology are an integral partner in this work, in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance and Treasury and Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination.

The assessment has been made possible through support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/ Pacific Community (SPC) Institutional Strengthening for Adaptation to Climate Change (ISACC) Project, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)/GIZ Climate Finance Readiness in the Pacific Project, and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Pacific Risk Resilience Program, in consultation with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC).

Media contacts:
Lisa Buggy Climate Change Adviser, ISACC Project, SPC, [email protected] or +679 337 9438
Vuki Buadromo   Project Manager, ISACC Project, SPC, [email protected] or +679 337 9350
Jordie Kilby  PIFS Communications Adviser – [email protected] or +679 322 0348

Useful link:
 USAID/SPC ISACC Project: ccprojects.gsd.spc.int