Kundiawa, Papua New Guinea,  June 11, 2025  – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA), and the Department of National Planning & Monitoring (DNPM), with support from the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), successfully concluded a two-day Climate Resilient Green Growth (CRGG) capacity-strengthening workshop in Simbu Province on June 10, 2025. 

Held from June 9–10 in Kundiawa, the workshop was delivered under the Climate Finance Initiative for Resilience and a Sustainable Transition (Climate FIRST). This program aims to mobilize USD 400 million in climate finance to support subnational resilience and accelerate the transition to a low-emissions, climate-resilient economy aligned with Papua New Guinea’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP). Through the introduction of CRGG and Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) mainstreaming tools, the workshop aims to equip provincial authorities with the knowledge and practical approaches needed to integrate climate resilience into sectoral development plans and budget processes. 

“This workshop is very important as it aims to strengthen the capacity of provincial stakeholders to understand and apply CRGG and GEDSI concepts,” said Mr. Miguel Angel Mendez Castellanos, Deputy Country Representative for GGGI in PNG.

“It aims to provide practical tools for mainstreaming CRGG and GEDSI in sectoral plans and provincial budgets and furthermore, it aims to facilitate alignment between provincial development priorities and national climate goals under NDC and NAP.” 

The workshop opened with remarks by Mr. Chris Mondo, Deputy Provincial Administrator, who reaffirmed the province’s commitment to climate action and called for stronger integration of climate priorities into Simbu’s development and budgetary processes. He welcomed national and development partners, acknowledging the presence of CCDA, DNPM, and GGGI, and extended appreciation to DFAT and DPLGA for their ongoing support. 

“The Climate FIRST project is a very important project embraced by the Simbu Provincial Administration. Effects of climate change are real and our efforts in mitigation and adaptation are of paramount importance. As a province we must integrate climate change into our development and sectoral plans and our budgetary process to effectively address the issue in our province. This capacity building workshop is one of many interventions that will equip our capacity at the provincial level to effectively mainstream climate change into our plans. We are looking forward to working with the GGGI Provincial office to identify project ideas and develop them to access climate financing”, said Mr. Mondo. 

Throughout the workshop, technical officers from GGGI delivered presentations on climate change and GEDSI mainstreaming approaches, sharing lessons learned and best practices. Simbu provincial authorities, CCDA, and DNPM officials emphasized the importance of aligning provincial planning with national policy instruments, including the Medium-Term Development Plan IV (MTDP IV), the NDC, and the NAP. 

Mr. Kenneth Wangoro, General Manager of CCDA’s Climate Finance Unit, highlighted the need for institutionalizing climate coordination roles at the provincial level. 

“Streamlining climate change by embedding a provincial climate change coordinator into Simbu’s government structure is a way forward,” he said. “Simbu provincial government should seek government funding for the position to be fully funded under personnel emolument budget by GoPNG.” 

Mr. Alex Ginet, Assistant Secretary Aid Effectiveness/Regional/UN Branch at DNPM, emphasized the workshop’s alignment with national development priorities. 

“The alignment of the CRGG strategic plan for Simbu to the MTDP IV , the NDC, the NAP and other overarching government strategic plans is very important.   DNPM looks forward to support Simbu Province in any undertaking pertinent to developing the CRRG plan.  This capacity building exercise is a positive step taken by GGGI to strengthen capacity at sub-national levels. For this, the Department of National Planning & Monitoring thank GGGI, as a Development Partner for its support, and CCDA, the lead GoPNG sector agency in this development activity to ensure we do not lose sight on Climate Resilience and GEDSI measures into the provincial planning and budgetary processes,” said Mr. Ginet. 

The workshop is part of a broader effort under Climate FIRST to enhance capacity at the provincial level in several provinces across Papua New Guinea. Similar workshops have been held in other regions, reinforcing GGGI’s commitment to equitable, inclusive, and climate-resilient development. 

As a next step, the project team will collaborate with the Simbu Provincial Administration to develop a provincial CRGG implementation strategy, expected to be endorsed by the Provincial Executive Council (PEC) and integrated into the mid-term review of the province’s five-year development plan. This strategy will guide Simbu’s access to climate finance and help transform development efforts through climate-smart planning and investment. 

Follow us on X | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram   

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

GGGI Pacific (Regional Office) Fiji

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

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