Делегация Палау изучила опыт Вануату в координации климатического финансирования

A six-member delegation from Palau visited Vanuatu from August 4 to 7 to examine how national climate priorities are developed into finance-ready projects as the country works to move its climate investment priorities towards implementation. The Palauan delegation was in Port Vila for a peer-learning exchange focused on climate finance coordination, institutional systems and decision-making processes. Palau has recently completed its first Climate Finance Country Programme, identifying priority areas for investment through the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and other development partners. The country is now working to strengthen the systems needed to turn those priorities into viable projects, identify appropriate sources of financing and oversee their implementation. Vanuatu was selected as a learning partner because of its experience in coordinating climate finance across government and working with civil society, development partners and other stakeholders to assess projects and align investment decisions with national priorities. The exchange began with a visit to Vanuatu’s Ministry of Climate Change and a meeting with Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards and Disaster Management, Ralph Regenvanu. The meeting focused on the importance of national leadership in directing climate finance towards sectors, communities and infrastructure most vulnerable to climate change. Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Climate Change, David Gibson, said effective climate finance requires coordinated decision-making across government and access to information from multiple sectors. “Climate change affects energy, water, agriculture, infrastructure, health and livelihoods. Strong coordination allows countries to bring this information together, identify the most urgent investments and ensure projects remain connected to national priorities as they move towards financing and implementation,” DG Gibson said. Throughout the exchange, participants examined the roles of government ministries, civil society organisations, financial institutions and national focal points for multilateral climate funds. The Palauan delegation also examined how Vanuatu identifies, assesses and prioritises potential climate investments, as well as how projects are monitored, grants are managed, results are reported and institutional knowledge is retained after projects are completed. The discussions highlighted the fact that identifying a national climate priority is only the first step towards securing financing. Countries must also clearly define the climate risk being addressed, provide technical and economic evidence, establish institutional responsibilities and demonstrate how proposed investments will deliver sustainable results. A key part of the exchange was the Palauan delegation’s participation as observers at a meeting of Vanuatu’s National Advisory Board on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction. The National Advisory Board brings together government institutions and stakeholders from different sectors to coordinate Vanuatu’s response to climate change and disaster risks. It also provides a national platform for reviewing climate-related projects, policies and plans. During the meeting, the Board considered proposals relating to rural electrification and locally led adaptation, as well as Vanuatu’s National Policy on Climate Change and Disaster-Induced Displacement and Community-Based Adaptation Plans. For the Palauan delegation, the meeting provided an opportunity to observe how Vanuatu assesses proposals, identifies gaps and links technical information with national investment decisions. Charlene Mersai, Integrated Climate and Development Programs Manager with Palau’s Office of Climate Change, said the exchange demonstrated how different components of a national climate finance system can work together. “Palau has identified its climate investment priorities. Our next step is to develop a clear and nationally owned process for moving those priorities into well-designed projects. Vanuatu’s experience gives us practical lessons on coordination, project review and investment oversight that we can assess and adapt to Palau’s context,” Ms Mersai said. The exchange coincided with the Government of Vanuatu’s launch of four national climate finance resources: the Climate Finance Road Map, Vanuatu Climate Finance Country Programme, Cost-Benefit Analysis Report and an upgraded National Advisory Board portal. The Climate Finance Road Map sets out how Vanuatu will mobilise and manage climate finance, while the Country Programme organises priority investments into a national pipeline. The Cost-Benefit Analysis Report is intended to support evidence-based investment decisions, while the upgraded NAB portal is designed to improve access to climate and disaster-risk information. The Palauan delegation also met officials from Vanuatu’s climate, energy, environment, meteorology, geohazards and disaster-management agencies to examine how institutions share information, engage stakeholders and coordinate projects from planning through implementation and reporting. The six-member delegation included representatives with expertise in climate policy, national planning, environmental management, conservation finance and development finance, including government institutions, multilateral climate fund focal points and the Palau Protected Areas Network Fund. Esline Garaebiti, SPC Deputy Director for Climate Change and Sustainability, said the exchange provided an opportunity for both countries to examine how climate finance systems operate in a Pacific context. “Palau is not seeking to reproduce Vanuatu’s system. It is examining what has worked, why it has worked and which lessons are relevant to its own institutions and priorities,” Ms Garaebiti said. She said Palau’s questions and experience would also contribute to Vanuatu’s own learning and to the wider region’s understanding of effective climate finance coordination. The exchange was facilitated by the Pacific Community’s Climate Finance Unit and co-organised with Vanuatu’s National Advisory Board Secretariat. The findings are expected to inform Palau’s implementation of its first Climate Finance Country Programme and its efforts to strengthen national climate finance coordination. Regional learning will continue from August 25 to 27, 2026, when Pacific countries meet in Pohnpei for the Pacific Climate Finance Readiness Learning Exchange, hosted by the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and SPC. While the Vanuatu exchange focused on how climate priorities are assessed and developed towards financing, the Pohnpei meeting will examine the next stage — implementation after a project has been approved. Countries, accredited entities and project management teams are expected to compare experiences in establishing project teams, coordinating implementation, meeting financial and reporting requirements and addressing challenges during project delivery. Together, the exchanges are intended to strengthen two critical stages of climate finance: developing investments that reflect national priorities and ensuring approved projects deliver their intended results. The initiative comes as Pacific countries prepare for Pre-COP31 in Fiji and COP31 in Türkiye, with regional efforts continuing to push for climate finance that is more accessible, responsive and capable of reaching vulnerable Pacific communities.