Tonga’s Delegation to COP21 in France, led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Change, Siaosi Sovaleni met with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Management staff Clifford Polycard and Gerd Droesse in Paris
Tonga raised the importance for the GCF Secretariat to understand that the capacity realities of the Pacific to access GCF in general is extremely important and the view that the now one Regional Coordinator for the Pacific will need to be strengthened.
Tonga recommended the option to establish strong relationships in the region by engaging in key regional events and support national readiness workshops.
The delegation also requested GCF to be responsive to the vulnerability of Pacific island Countries, including the relatively high cost of doing business; geographic and logistic challenges; small populations; as well as very limited government capacity and resources.
They said there is a need for the GCF funding modality to be responsive to the Pacific including the importance of the ‘grant’ component noting that GCF funding can be structured as part of multi financing sources.
Tonga, achieving national accreditation is a priority to accelerate access to GCF in accordance with its national climate change policy and can submit funding proposal through a national designated authorities (NDAs).
Tonga could also be allowed direct access through accredited regional implementing entities such as SPREP as long as these implementing entities fulfil certain fiduciary standards. GCF can also be accessed through multilateral implementing entities, such as UNDP, World Bank and the ADB.
As GCF is a legally independent body, the meeting also considered a draft Membership MOU with Tonga to be finalized upon mutual agreement.