Australia commits $9 million to help Pacific neighbours meet climate targets

The Australian government announced on Monday that it was contributing $9 million to the Regional Pacific Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Hub in an effort to further support the country’s Pacific neighbours respond to climate change.

The Hub, a Pacific-led initiative representing 14 Pacific Island nations, helps find the data, resources, and expertise that is needed to implement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) required by the Paris Agreement.

Each signatory to the Paris Agreement has been required to set NDCs, a commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Launched in 2017, the Hub has already helped deliver access to climate support including for investment planning, low-emissions strategy development, and emissions reporting.

Announced at the Pacific Islands Countries Climate Change Ministerial Talanoa, the new $9 million in funding is intended to support the next phase of the Hub as countries seek to submit new NDCs in 2025.

“Climate change is no longer a threat, it’s a reality, and Australia is committed to supporting our closest neighbours to deliver on their ambitious emissions reduction targets and manage investment planning for low emissions development,” said Chris Bowen, Australian minister for climate change and energy.

“Each step we take to fight climate change is a step back from the brink, and Australia is dedicated to working with our Pacific neighbours to make sure our next steps are the right ones.”

Australia is one of four regular supporters of the Hub, alongside the governments of New Zealand and Germany and the wider European Union.

It is unclear how much Australia has committed to the Hub since it began its support in 2018. Originally, Australia committed $2 million over two phases to support the Hub between 2018 and 2023, and committed a further $500,000 in 2021 towards the second phase of the Regional Pacific NDC Hub.

Renew Economy has reached out to the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for further comment, and will update as appropriate.

Australia’s most recent commitment comes days after the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), an intergovernmental organization based in Seoul, South Korea, as an implementing partner of the Regional Pacific Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Hub, has successfully concluded Phase 3 of its support to Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu, and Tonga governments.

Initiated in July of 2022, the GGGI’s support helped to provide technical assistance towards projects in each of the four countries, which not only fulfilled each country’s global commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement, but also helped to enable multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits.

“Whilst it is difficult to celebrate as we find ourselves in a climate emergency, we can rise to the challenge together and make a difference here in the Pacific and establish a global example,” said Katerina Syngellakis, GGGI Pacific regional director.