Papua New Guinea is set to host a high-level climate change meeting mid next year, being the second in the Pacific to host such an event after Samoa 10 years ago.
The Post Courier newspaper reports that the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board in its last meeting in October approved for PNG to host the 42nd Board Meeting next year from June 27 to July 3, 2025, which will see GCF Board members including the GCF Secretariat travelling into the country mid next year to prepare for the 42nd GCF Board Meeting. Just like other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and countries in the Pacific region, climate finance is not only needed to protect the environment—it’s about survival and the broader pursuit of sustainable development.
The current gap in funding leaves critical adaptation and mitigation projects either underfunded or delayed. As sea levels rise, coastal communities are losing homes and livelihoods, while saltwater intrusion is rendering agricultural land unusable, and this crisis jeopardizes both the physical and economic survival of these island nations.
With COP29 in Azerbaijan focused heavily on finance, the Pacific is already looking ahead to this Pacific-hosted GCF Board Meeting, which will place the region’s unique challenges in the global spotlight, emphasizing the urgency of more tailored and responsive climate financing strategies. The region’s future depends on whether global finance commitments align with the region’s needs – both in scale and in practical application.
The international climate community has long discussed the US$100 billion annual climate finance goal, pledged by developed nations to support the developing world, however, the reality is that these funds often remain out of reach for many Pacific Island nations. Delays in disbursement and overly complex application processes mean that Pacific Island nations face significant hurdles in accessing finance, which is the main reason why we constantly advocate for large, developed country economies to be action-oriented rather than talking endlessly in the annual COP meetings.
Acting Managing Director for PNG Climate Change and Development Authority Debra Sungi highlighted that under her leadership climate finance mobilization has been one of CCDA’s key priority areas.
“We have established the Climate Finance Unit, which has made significant strides in mobilizing resources and developing a robust pipeline of projects in partnership with the Green Climate Fund. Furthermore, we are actively working towards accrediting at least one national entity to GCF, ensuring that Papua New Guinea is better positioned to access vital climate financing directly,” she said.
“Hosting the 42nd GCF Board Meeting is an immense honor for our nation and a testament to our commitment to align with global best practices. This event provides a platform to showcase our progress and reaffirm our dedication to addressing climate finance challenges and fostering resilience for our people and ecosystems.”
The last GCF Board Meeting saw four of the 19 underserved countries namely, Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Somalia, get approval for their single country project proposals which is ok, but the fact remains that around 15 countries from different climate vulnerable parts of the world remain underserved, including PNG.
The barriers that prevent Pacific nations from fully accessing global climate finance are both systemic and structural, however, Pacific Islanders are resilient and have survived through the use of indigenous knowledge merged with modern innovation to enable adaptation measures that are swiftly carried out at scale throughout various climate vulnerable communities.
The acting MD for CCDA thanks the GCF Board and the GCF Executive Director Madam Mafalda Duarte for their vote of confidence in Papua New Guinea to host this Board Meeting.
“GCF as a billion-dollar fund coming to a climate vulnerable region like the Pacific is a milestone and we welcome this opportunity”.
Adding that the year 2025 coincides with PNG’s 50th Independence Anniversary, the Board will witness first-hand how PNG intends to move into a carbon neutral pathway with Vision 2050 capturing our vision to be carbon neutral by the year 2050.
The timing also aligns with the Australia-Pacific bid to host COP31 in 2026. Our success in winning approval to host the GCF B42 meeting in 2025 is a very strong compliment to the COP bid and strengthens the region’s efforts for positive co-operative climate action. It also highlights the significant role PNG stands to play if the COP31 bid is successful.
Mafalda Duarte in her statement said that: “In this moment of crisis, I am proud to announce that GCF has committed a landmark USD$2.5 billion of financing for 44 new projects in 2024”.
GCF is mandated to support the needs of under-served countries and communities that are most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
The Green Climate Fund is a fund for climate finance that was established within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Considered the world’s largest fund of its kind, GCF’s objective is to assist developing countries with climate change adaptation and mitigation activities.