The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved a readiness grant of US$339,250 for the Republic of Nauru to build the capacity of the National Designated Authority and strengthen Nauru’s engagement with the Fund.
It is the first grant Nauru has received from the GCF since the full operationalisation of the Fund. The readiness proposal was made possible with technical support from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, in consultation with the GCF Pacific Regional Adviser.
Nauru welcomed news of the readiness grant with National Designated Authority & Secretary of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Michael Aroi, saying “it will support additional capacity to progress Nauru’s climate change finance priorities and engagement with the Green Climate Fund.”
“This support is timely for a vulnerable small island developing state like Nauru and demonstrates the Government’s seriousness to engage with the GCF, accredited entities, regional organisations and partners working in the region.”
Nauru’s Director for Climate Change, Reagan Moses said “it has taken some time for Nauru to be able to access resources from the GCF, and this success could only be made possible through the strong partnership between the Division of Climate Change and the Office of the National Designated Authority.”
“The process started with an institutional mapping exercise undertaken by the Forum Secretariat through support from the Regional Technical Support Mechanism (RTSM). Using the findings as a baseline, the National Designated Authority then requested further technical assistance from the Forum Secretariat to develop the readiness concept and proposal.
In response, the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Dame Meg Taylor congratulated the Government of Nauru, saying “President Waqa expressed a clear desire for access to funds from the GCF when he attended the high level segment of the Pacific GCF Meeting that we hosted in August last year. As a readiness delivery partner to the GCF, the Forum Secretariat is pleased to have been able to help Nauru with this successful proposal. As always, the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific, particularly the Pacific Community and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, stand ready to support our member countries access climate change related finance."
Photo courtesy PIFS