On May 21, 2019, Papua New Guinea’s Climate Change & Development Authority (CCDA), GGGI and other development partners convened a 3-day workshop in the Mount Hagen, Western Highlands Province, to support PNG access climate finance and engage the Green Climate Fund. Over forty provincial government, civil society and private sector stakeholders from the 7 provinces that make-up PNG’s Highlands Region are participating in the workshop.

The Mount Hagen workshop is the first of 4 regional workshops and subsequent national consultations to be implemented in 2019 that aim to at strengthen the role of CCDA as the National Designated Authority (NDA) to the GCF and improve its coordinating capacity to ensure stakeholders across PNG understand and can design, submit, gain approval and implement GCF projects.

The workshops will provide information to stakeholders on the roles, functions and procedures for the NDA and GCF, and will help identify processes to link and strengthen CCDA functions, communication and governance to the sub-national level by focusing on awareness raising to the Provincial Climate Change Committees enabling them to participate in the GCF project development process.

“This is a good first step for stakeholders in the Highlands region to learn about the financing opportunities available through GCF and the role of CCDA as the NDA, which will assist in the overall preparation of concept notes and project proposals that can receive GCF support”, said Mr. Ruel Yamuna, Managing Director of CCDA.

As the Delivery Partner to Papua New Guinea’s first Green Climate Fund Readiness project, GGGI, in partnership with USAID Climate Ready, is supporting the CCDA to establish effective coordination mechanisms, develop strategic frameworks and plans, build relevant capacity in government partners and ultimately achieve higher quality, more innovative climate project proposals for submission to GCF and other climate funds.

The Highlands Region consultation also includes a review of PNG’s Climate Change (Management) Act; a process that is supported by the United Nations Development Programme with the aim to strengthen governance and enforcement as well as other key areas.

The next 3 workshops will be held in the Momase, Islands, and Southern regions from end of May to early July.

PNG is a founding member of GGGI.