The Prime Minister of Tonga has stressed the importance of the Pacific making significant financial investments in climate change without delay and bureaucratic hoops. 

Hu’akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni made the comments on Thursday in his keynote address at the fourth Pacific Ocean Pacific Climate Change Conference held at the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.). 

The focus on Thursday’s session was on “Transformative Climate Finance Investment for a "Blue Pacific”. Sovaleni touched on the importance of climate change assistance. 

“The relationship between the ocean and climate is strategic for us as representatives of the Pacific island countries,” he told guests. 

“It is crucial for the blue Pacific initiatives to make significant financial investments in the areas of climate change without delay and allow me to add, too many bureaucratic hoops.  

“But of course, we must be transparent and accountable.” 

Jointly organised by the N.U.S., the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) hosted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), the conference is guided by the theme: ‘Our Ocean, Our Home: Climate Resilience for a Blue Pacific.’

Tonga’s Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the ongoing financial support from bilateral and multilateral donors for the Blue Pacific Ocean region’s climate initiative. 

Those in the Pacific already feel the effect of climate change, the extreme weather events and financing is needed to deal with it.  

“The point is we need assistance and forum such as this sound make it easier to justify why and how to mitigate and adapt in our SIDS,” he said. 

When taking over the chairmanship of the Pacific Leader’s meeting in August this year, Sovaleni said access to climate fund will be on his agenda. 

He said the importance of SIDS accessing climate finance in predictable, reliable and expeditious ways is key to implementing the measures to counter the adverse impacts of climate change. 

The Pacific Partnership for Prosperity, endorsed by Pacific Leaders aims to quickly allocate resources and empower people to drive transformative change through development at both national and regional levels.  

Sovaleni said the Pacific for too long now has been in a constant state of recovery from both climate change and natural disasters.

“This has major strategic implications,” he pointed out. 

“Yes, the cost of recovery is borne and shared by countries and development partners. But, is it this kind of firefighting we wish to perpetuate at the expense of paths to sustainable development? Definitely not. 

“We must invest in our resilience now…can’t wait to rebuild after cyclone, we must invest in making shelters, schools, medical facilities more resilient now.” 

The Pacific is the most vulnerable to climate change and the clock is ticking. Sovaleni said time is not on our side and we have to do something about it. 

“We must ask ourselves what “transformative climate finance investment for Blue Pacific” means,” he said. 

“We must discuss this within the context of the current climate finance deficit. 

“If we do not do so in an open and result oriented way, climate finance deficit. 

“If we do not do so in an open and result oriented way, climate finance investment and programming will remain piecemeal and reactive. 

“Transformative climate finance investment must be scalable, contextual, flexible, predictable and demand driven from both the public and private sectors.” 

Participants of the P.O.P.C.C. meet were told that mere dialogue no longer suffice. 

Sovaleni proposed to strengthen regional approaches noting the Pacific has already unlocked the transformative potential of climate finance for the Blue Pacific.