Climate Change Resilience
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has been successfully accredited to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as a Regional Implementing Entity, one of the very first to be approved. 

This now means that Pacific island member countries can benefit from the growing multi-billion dollar fund for climate change adaptation and mitigation projects through the regional intergovernmental environment organisation, SPREP, which belongs to them.
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Coastal erosion in Aitutaki, Cook Islands

“We are extremely pleased by this announcement, it’s a huge positive step for the Pacific island community which opens the door for our island region to start benefiting from the GCF, and seeing actions happen to both mitigate and adapt to climate change, the impacts of which we are feeling now,” said Mr. David Sheppard, Director-General of SPREP.

The Green Climate Fund was established in 2010 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to serve as the central global investment vehicle for climate finance. It will help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. To date, 32 countries have pledged an initial $10.2 billion to the Fund, including seven developing countries.

As an accredited regional implementing entity, SPREP now able to submit applications for funding of project and programs on behalf of countries, of up to USD 50 million.

In order to achieve accreditation to the GCF as a Regional Implementing Agency SPREP had to meet strict and extensive fiduciary, governance, project management and other organisational performance standards. 

In accrediting SPREP to the Green Climate Fund, the Board has also recommended that SPREP continue with development of its grant management guidelines, and continue to strengthen its environmental and social risk management processes, to support future application to additional accreditation levels.

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The Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change (PACC) Project in Niue,
an example of Adaptation Projects at work in the Pacific islands.

“This is a collaborative effort from our Pacific island members that helped us, working together with our staff who put in the hard yards over the past several years to bring us this far,” said Mr. David Sheppard.

“This successful accreditation is a reflection of the strong unity we have across the region.”

SPREP will now start the process of assisting Pacific island countries in developing concept proposals for consideration by the Green Climate Fund.

For more information please contact [email protected]