Suva, Fiji – May 19, 2025 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Pacific Regional Director, Mr. Saki Tuisolia, was welcomed at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Suva by Ms. Mary Hunt, Minister-Counsellor for Pacific Development and Acting High Commissioner. This meeting preceded the renewed financial commitment for the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) funded Climate Finance Access, Absorption and Implementation program. Discussions centered on how the program was effectively supporting capacity building for Pacific Island Governments to address sustainable and climate-resilient development through scaled access to climate finance and investments. 

The meeting noted the progress of the program, which GGGI implements in seven Pacific Island Countries with an advisor embedded in government ministries in each country.  The advisors were recruited in January 2024, forming a diverse team, almost all Pacific Islanders with extensive experience in management, the private sector, and climate finance. These advisors have been able to provide strategic support in an agile manner, both for climate access and implementation. 

The project team has submitted a range of concept notes and full proposals targeting both mitigation and adaptation sectors and has seen most of these concepts receive funding in a short space of time. In Vanuatu, the support has led to the development of a Loss and Damage policy and is disbursing loss and damage funding. Samoa is also on track to achieve the same. A comprehensive review of country project pipelines has also been completed to establish baselines, with Samoa and Solomon Islands progressing towards the development of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Investment Plans -key tools to align local initiatives with broader climate goals. For Tonga the development of a Risk Framework for the Ministry of Finance is a key step for the operationalization of the Climate Change Trust Fund and for the Future Pacific Resilience Fund. These achievements reflect GGGI’s commitment to empowering Pacific institutions to manage climate finance effectively, an essential component in building climate resilience and sustainable development in the region. 

“Improved access to finance is essential for the Pacific in the fight against the climate crisis. The United Kingdom is proud to support the Pacific’s journey towards climate resilience and sustainable growth. Our catalytic partnership with GGGI is an important part of the solution that builds local capacity and ensures that climate finance reaches those who need it most. We look forward to continuing this important partnership,” Minister-Counsellor for Pacific Development Commissioner Ms. Mary Hunt stated.   

“We are excited about the strong and growing collaboration with the United Kingdom and look forward to deepening our trust-based partnership to deliver greater sustainable development and climate adaptation and resilience impact across the Pacific,” said Saki Tuisolia, GGGI Pacific Regional Director. 

This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing complex climate challenges. By working together, GGGI and the United Kingdom are committed to driving sustainable development and resilience across the Pacific, ensuring that climate action is both effective and inclusive. 

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For more information, please contact 

Kelly Vacala | GGGI Regional Communications and Knowledge Sharing Lead | kelly.vacala@gggi.org