Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, June 18, 2025 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) took centre stage at the ABC International Development (ABCID) Media Development Initiative (MDI) and CSOs Networking Event held in Port Moresby, with Mr. Sandeep Kumar, GGGI PNG Climate Investment Advisor Sustainable Finance, presenting critical updates on CLIMATE FIRST, a flagship climate finance initiative already underway in PNG. 

Funded by the Australian Government with AUD $20 million under the PNG–Australia Climate Change Action Plan (PACCAP), CLIMATE FIRST is being implemented by PNG’s Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) and delivered exclusively by GGGI. The four-year initiative (2024–2028) aims to mobilize USD 400 million in climate investment to support PNG’s transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. 

“PNG has made bold climate commitments, but turning these into action requires significant and sustained climate investment. CLIMATE FIRST is about unlocking those pathways,” said Mr. Kumar during his presentation to media stakeholders and civil society organizations. 

PNG’s national frameworks — including the Medium-Term Development Plan IV, Enhanced NDC, and the National Adaptation Plan — require over USD 1.5 billion to implement, while only 1% of domestic spending currently supports climate-related activities. 

CLIMATE FIRST addresses these gaps by: 

• Scaling access to international and domestic climate finance 

• Establishing a Climate Finance Steering Committee (CFSC) 

• Expanding subnational engagement and private sector participation 

• Supporting innovation in climate financing mechanisms 

• Ensuring Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) outcomes 

The event also showcased GGGI’s complementary efforts in PNG, including: 

• The Inclusive Green Finance Roadmap with the Bank of Papua New Guinea and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), focused on integrating green finance into financial systems and launching a Green Refinance Facility 

• The Electric Mobility Project with the Department of Transport, supported by the Green Climate Fund, to reduce transport emissions 

• The IRIS PNG Project, enhancing resilience in road infrastructure development through technical and institutional capacity-building. 

“These projects reflect a shared commitment to putting climate first — not just as a policy priority, but as a principle for inclusive development,” Kumar concluded. 

The engagement emphasized the role of media and civil society in communicating, monitoring, and supporting climate finance and resilience efforts across PNG. 

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For more information, visit:  https://gggi.org 

GGGI Pacific (Regional Office)

Kelly Vacala, Regional Communications & Knowledge Sharing Lead | kelly.vacala@gggi.org

GGGI PNG
Lorraine Basse, Communications & Knowledge Sharing Associate
+675 8301 7407
lorraine.basse@gggi.org