Pacific Development Banks Engage in a Learning Exchange on Social and Environmental Management on GCF Projects

The Pacific Community (SPC) and the Fiji Development Bank co-hosted the “Pacific Development Banks Learning Exchange” from 14 to 16 January 2025, in Suva, Fiji.

The primary objective of this Learning Exchange is to address the expressed need of Direct Access Entities (DAEs) for enhancing regional capabilities in Social and Environmental Management, including Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) in projects funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The exchange provides an opportunity for technical specialists from various Pacific Development Banks, including the Fiji Development Bank, Federated States of Micronesia Development Bank, Bank of the Cook Islands, Development Bank of Samoa, and Tonga Development Bank, as well as staff from SPC, to deepen their understanding of roles, responsibilities, and actions required to successfully integrate GESI and ESS considerations in project design, implementation, and monitoring.

Mr. Filimone Waqabaca, Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Development Bank, highlighted the crucial role of environmental and social management in advancing climate finance initiatives.

“Environmental and social management will not only allow us to provide bankable projects to the Green Climate Fund, but also ensure we are funding the sustainable development of people and our economy,” he stated.

The sessions delivered in-depth discussions that allowed participants to share their experiences in seeking access to climate finance. Some of the key topics included an overview of the GCF’s approach to GESI and ESS, development of Pacific-centred gender policy, mainstreaming environmental and social safeguards, stakeholder engagement, and navigating GCF accreditation.

Climate Finance Coordinator, Mr. Dirk Snyman, emphasised the collaborative efforts of SPC in fostering partnerships and enhancing regional capacity through GCF readiness support.

“SPC has been working with everyone here in the room, either your institutions or your countries, or both … It’s all with the intention of developing relationships and helping each other to do our work better, with support from GCF readiness funding,” he noted.

The participants also engaged in a stocktake of best practices and lessons learnt from their respective institutions, followed by a site visit to the Fiji Urban Water Supply and Wastewater Management Project located in Rewa, Fiji. The field visit of the project site served as a case study for how environmental and social safeguards are being implemented in real-world climate adaptation projects.

As an outcome of this event, SPC will develop a Lessons Learnt Paper that captures the insights and challenges faced by Pacific Development Banks in accessing climate finance, particularly through the lens of social and environmental management. It will incorporate the Independent Evaluation Unit’s Synthesis Paper on Access in the GCF. This document is intended to inform future strategies for improving the region’s engagement with the GCF and will support the broader goal of fostering sustainable climate action across Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS).

This event is an integral part of SPC’s Regional Readiness programme under the GCF, aimed at strengthening the capacity of PSIDS to access climate finance. As a Direct Access Entity accredited to the GCF, SPC works closely with National Designated Authorities to support climate adaptation and mitigation projects aligned with national priorities.