Climate change is the single greatest threat to Pacific communities. The IPCC AR6 working group 1 report is clear, urgent changes must be made to limit global warming to the Paris Agreements 1.5˚C temperature limit while there is still time. For the Pacific island’s region, the report spells out alarming consequences starting with us first, if the world fails to listen to the warnings in the report.
The Pacific countries have committed implementation of the Paris Agreement, and are updating Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and further increasing efforts to enhance their resilience and low-carbon development with support of various capacity building opportunities and technical and financial programmers.
This side event aims to showcase the outstanding outcomes of the training programs of adaptation, mitigation and access to climate finance delivered by the PCCC and lessons learned on how those various programmers have built adaptive capacity to increase climate investment in the Pacific.
It will also provide opportunities to seek future partnerships and funding in order to explore innovative tools, methodologies and approaches relevant for the Pacific to enhance climate resilience through successful ‘building back better’ from disasters and COVID-19 and to adapt to protect communities and natural habitats in line with the goal of the COP26.
You can participate by registering from here
https://sprep.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kiBTDiu6QFyFn-b8MQbXBQ

• • H.E. Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa’olelei Luteru Permanent Mission of the Independent State of Samoa to the United Nations Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations
  • Mr. Makoto Kato Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center (OECC) General Manager/Principal Researcher
  
  ▼Online speakers
  • Mr. Kosi Latu Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment (SPREP) Director General
  • Ms. 'Ofa Ma'asi-Kaisamy Pacific Climate Change Center (PCCC) Manager
  • Mr. Chris Teva Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology, Solomon Islands Project Officer
  • Dr. Peter King Institute for Global Environment Strategies (IGES) Senior Policy Advisor
  • Mr. Jiro Ogahara Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center (OECC) Senior Researcher
  • Ms. Masako Ogawa JICA Technical Cooperation Project for Capacity Building on Climate Resilience in the Pacific Chief Advisor

This side event showcased the outstanding outcomes of the capacity building programs and projects to enhance climate resilience and innovative initiatives supported by the PCCC, OECC, and IGES towards climate investments in the Pacific. It also explored new partnerships and innovative tools and approaches to strengthen resilience with the recovery efforts from Covid-19.

In the opening session, H.E. Fatumanava Dr. Pa’olelei Luteru, Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations emphasized the Pacific Island countries’ commitment to the goals of the Paris Agreement and the PCCC as their ongoing collective efforts for building a resilient Blue Pacific. Mr. Kosi Latu, Director General of SPREP highlighted that the PCCC has strengthened its efforts for enhancing climate resilient and low-carbon development and stressed that mainstreaming climate resilience and low carbon strategy should be achieved with the recovery efforts from Covid-19.

The panelists presented their national and regional initiatives. Ms. 'Ofa Ma'asi-Kaisamy summarized the achievements and future plan of the training programs under the PCCC Capacity Building Project in partnership with the Government of Samoa and JICA. Mr. Chris Teva, who joined the PCCC training on Ecosystem-based Adaptation shared lessons learnt from his group exercise experience using project development tools as well as his project. Dr. Peter King, who delivered mentoring services to Vanuatu participants after the PCCC training on Access to Climate Finance, suggested a way to bring a larger impact of training and mentoring assistance. Mr. Jiro Ogahara shared recent experience on a pre-feasibility study in Nauru, funded through the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), to explore renewable ocean energy options. He mentioned CTCN as a leverage that can facilitate the preparation and access to larger funds for the implementation stage and referred to the possibility of replicating their Nauru Model.

The panelists further explored innovative tools, methodologies, and approaches relevant for the Pacific from the aspect of a regional approach, technology transfer, capacity building and long-term solutions.

Ms. 'Ofa Ma’asi-Kaisamy closed the side event by reaffirming that they continue to work with existing partners and seek to expand new partnerships to address various capacity needs of the Pacific.

• The Pacific Island countries (PICs) are strengthening climate actions amid COVID-19 and promoting capacity building and climate investment in partnership with the relevant regional organizations and donors such as the PCCC, OECC, and IGES.
• PICs have challenges accessing climate finance and other relevant support. It is necessary to promote regional and innovative approaches and long-term solutions considering the Pacific region’s own challenges.
• The PCCC will continue to work with existing partners and seek to expand new partnerships for boosting climate investment.