Tonga represented at Commonwealth Symposium on Climate Change Finance Featured
Mr. Sosefo Feáo Vakata, Tonga JNAP Team Leader, during his presentation at the Symposium
26 June, 2019. Tonga joins countries from around the world in a meeting held at Valletta, Malta from 24 to 25 June 2019 to discuss issues related to Climate Change Finances.
This meeting was organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and was jointly moderated by the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Secretariat.
Issues discussed during the meeting were mainly focussed on the challenges that Small Island States and Least Developing States faces when trying to access to Climate Finances.
The meeting also looked at opportunities or trends that could also enable countries to increase the Climate Finance flows.
The meeting also discussed the benefits of introduction of the Commonwealth’s Climate Finance Access Hub (CFAH) and it has benefited some countries through the provisions of the Climate Finance Advisors.
These Advisors has contributed much to some countries including Tonga as reported through the provisions of technical advises and assisting in preparation of project proposals.
The Commonwealth will extend on that assistance through increasing the number of Advisors to at least 30 in the near future.
In a paper presented by Mr. Sosefo Feáo Vakata, the Tonga JNAP Team Leader, he elaborated on the common challenges faces by the SIDs and LDCs, in which Tonga is included, when trying to access Climate Financing.
These challenges includes but not limited to Global architectures, eligibility criteria, human resources and public finance management.
He went on and elaborated further on the current status of Tonga’s practises in terms of the issue by mentioning that Tonga is most probably the only country in the Pacific that has a Climate Finance assessment tool that incorporates both the requirements of the PCCFAF and the CPEIR and it is called the CFRGA or the Climate Finance and Risk Governance Assessment.
He also highlighted that Tonga is again the only country in the Pacific which has already established a Climate Change policy together with the renewed JNAP2 which is a perfect foundation which assist the country in formulation of project proposals seeking Climate Finance opportunities.
The delegate was joined by the Commonwealth’s National Climate Finance Advisor to Tonga, Mr. Othniel Yila.
Tonga’s delegation to the Commonwealth’s Symposium on Climate Change Finance was Mr. Sosefo Feáo Vakata, Mr. Vatulele Tuputupu and Ms. Lata Afu all from the Ministry of MEIDECC.
- MEIDECC
