Nuku’alofa, Tonga , July 2, 2025 – The Government of Tonga, held an Inception Workshop to review and enhance the climate action plans submitted in Tonga’s Second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in 2020. The goal of enhancement is to better communicate Tonga’s ambitions for greenhouse gas emissions and resilience building amongst its people in order to better adapt to the impacts of climate change. Climate change specialists and greenhouse gas experts were engaged to support the review of the climate targets for the next NDC, ensuring the targets are ambitious and achievable.
The workshop was led by the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of MEIDECC, in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) with funding from the NDC Partnership through the Partnership Action Fund (PAF), as well as technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and UN Women.
The workshop opened with remarks from Ms. Fololita Takau Sila, Acting Director of the Department of Climate Change, who emphasised how the NDC targets “have helped guide Tonga’s climate resilience and sustainable development efforts over the past several years. However, while we have made good progress, we know there are still gaps and challenges to overcome — from strengthening data and transparency systems to improving institutional coordination and securing adequate financing”.
The workshop convened 25 participants that included government agencies and NGO representatives, to identify gaps, challenges, and priority areas for strengthening climate action in key sectors like Agriculture, Forestry, Land-use Energy, Fisheries, Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU) and Waste. The workshop reviewed progress against Tonga’s Second NDC, addressing barriers to implementation and integrating lessons learned from recent climate impacts.
A process Mr. Stelios Grafakos, Principal Economist at GGGI, noted that “GGGI is proud to support” as the lead implementation agency. He also noted that the approach prioritised “the active involvement of diverse stakeholders…this is essential if we are to develop an NDC that is both ambitious and grounded in Tonga’s development priorities and community needs.”
NDC Partnership Global Director Mr. Pablo Vieira: “As a member of the NDC Partnership since 2019, Tonga has continued to show its commitment to climate action. By taking stock of national progress and progressively strengthening its climate commitments, Tonga is further solidifying the foundation for rapid and effective implementation. In shaping its next NDC, Tonga is working closely with communities — including young people — to ensure the country’s climate priorities reflect the voices and needs of those most affected. The NDC Partnership is supporting this process to help ensure that Tonga’s NDC 3.0 reflects national priorities, unlocks investment and delivers real results for Tongan communities.”
Mr. Vijay Prasad Kesari, Gender and Climate Action Specialist at UN Women’s Fiji Multi-Country Office, emphasized the importance of gender-responsive NDCs. He noted that integrating gender considerations into NDCs is essential, as climate change disproportionately impacts women, particularly those in low-income and rural communities. Gender integration not only addresses these inequalities but also improves the social and economic effectiveness of climate policies, promoting more sustainable and equitable development. He also outlined specific sections of the NDC where gender considerations should be strengthened to enhance the overall quality and impact of the NDC 3.0.
Key outcomes of the workshop included consensus on the areas of the NDC2.0 that can be enhanced in the new Tonga NDC3.0. These include the proposed addition of unconditional targets for adaptation and mitigation as well as the inclusion of a section on loss-and-damage aligned with Tonga’s national policies and global goals. The enhancements will include mapping of Tonga’s targets to the Enhance Transparency Framework (ETF), the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and draft UAE framework on loss-an-damage finance.
Tonga’s government, with continued support from GGGI and partners, will refine the Third NDC based on workshop feedback with submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled for September 2025.
About the NDC Partnership
The NDC Partnership is a global coalition, bringing together more than 240 members, including more than 130 countries, developed and developing, and more than 110 institutions to deliver on ambitious, transformational climate action that helps achieve the Paris Agreement and drive sustainable development.
About the NDC Partnership’s Partnership Action Fund (PAF)
The Partnership Action Fund (PAF) supports the NDC Partnership’s developing Country Members in fast-tracking the implementation of their NDCs by bridging gaps in support. By pooling funds and making them more readily available, the PAF ensures countries have better access to technical and financial resources, and the widest possible range of Partnership members can respond rapidly to the needs of developing Country Members
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GGGI Communications – Tonga
Mele Matoto, Administration Associate |mele.matoto@GGGI.org
GGGI Pacific| Kelly Vacala, Regional Communications & Knowledge Sharing Lead |kelly.vacala@gggi.org