Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 7 September 2023- The Tonga Country Planning Framework (CPF) 2023 – 2027 between the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Government of Tonga was launched in Nuku’alofa on 7 September 2023 by the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Paula Ma’u and the GGGI Country Representative for Tonga, Mr. Daniel Muñoz-Smith. The launch was organized on the margins of workshops supporting Tonga’s monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems and building Tonga’s capacity to access and absorb climate finance.
Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Paula Ma’u
“GGGI’s 5-year Country planning framework aligns and supports national development policies and plans that chart the way forward for our people”, said Chief Secretary Paula Ma’u.” Guided by its CPF, GGGI will help Tonga adapt to the growing impacts of climate change, reduce emissions and meet NDC targets, achieve its clean energy transition through renewable energy acceleration, create green jobs, and mobilize climate finance for priority investments that build resilience and support green growth.”
Since beginning operations in 2019, GGGI has been embedded within Tonga’s Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), working closely with the Department of Climate Change and Department of Energy to deliver their mandates in support of Tonga’s development.
The CPF will guide GGGI’s program of work and partnership with MEIDECC and other ministries and collaboration with development partners in Tonga. It sets out how GGGI will support Tonga in addressing its priorities and responding to climate change and economic challenges and green growth opportunities.
“GGGI’s help to Tonga will accelerate its transition to green, resilient development by mobilizing USD 100 million in green investments for priority NDC and SDG actions, reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions by 1.78MtCO2e,” said GGGI Country Representative, Daniel Muñoz-Smith. “Furthermore, the support has the potential of creating 275 green jobs, assisting over 60,000 people to access clean energy, and supporting 100,000 Tongans to adapt to the effects of climate change,” Mr. Muñoz-Smith added.
Consultation session
Following the launch event, GGGI and the government of Tonga partners organized a series of consultations and workshops in support of the country’s development goals.
To enhance reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, GGGI conducted a workshop with relevant stakeholders on Tonga’s current initiatives and activities that will assist in delivering on reporting requirements under several reporting regimes.
GGGI’s Climate Advisor to Tonga, Lano Fonua, taking participants through the training on access, absorption and disbursement of climate finance
To enhance Tonga’s ability to access, absorb, and disburse climate finance, GGGI trained government officials from MEIDECC and the Ministry of Finance on international climate financing windows, as well as the Tonga Climate Change Fund, a national financing vehicle that GGGI is currently supporting the government to operationalize. GGGI’s climate finance support in Tonga is delivered through the Climate Finance Access Network.
Since beginning its operations in Tonga, GGGI has supported the government in developing its Second Nationally Determined Contribution, the Long-Term Low-Emissions Development Strategy, the NDC Implementation Roadmap and Investment Plan, and the Tonga Energy Road Map, and develop the TERMPLUS Investment Plan.
Tonga became a member of GGGI in 2018.