The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change in Fiji, in partnership with the Climate Finance Access Network (CFAN), the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), officially launched the 4th Pacific Regional CFAN Workshop on Monday, 12 May, at the Pearl Resort in Deuba, Fiji.
The four-day workshop brought together the 12 CFAN Pacific advisors, respective government partners, technical partners, and donor partner representatives from across the Pacific to accelerate access to and mobilisation of climate finance in the region. Countries that are currently supported by CFAN in the Pacific are the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and the Pacific Community (SPC); CFAN also includes 8 advisors embedded within the Caribbean region.
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change - Dr. Sivendra Michael underscored the urgent need for strategic collaboration to unlock climate finance for transformative action across the Blue Pacific:
“CFAN advisors are catalysts of change in a rapidly evolving multilateral climate finance landscape. We need high-quality, coordinated finance aligned with national priorities that enables resilient, low-emission development,” said Dr. Michael.
This workshop follows the completion of CFAN’s advisor training programme and three prior regional workshops, which have collectively established a strong network of in-country climate finance advisors, who are strategically embedded in Pacific countries and are now shaping pipelines of impactful, country-driven projects.
Dr. Kaitlyn Bunker, Director of CFAN at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), acknowledged the growing expertise within the network:
“Our advisors have built a pipeline of transformative climate projects. The next step is unlocking and scaling finance. This workshop is designed to equip advisors with the tools, strategies, and partnerships to bridge the gap between ambition and implementation,” she said.
Key sessions throughout the workshop focus on strengthening bankability and feasibility of projects, donor engagement strategies, financial structuring, and effective project proposal pitching. A highlight of the programme is the Donor Roundtable and Project Pitching Session, where advisors will engage directly with financing partners to present shovel-ready projects that they have been working on.
Peer to peer learning amongst the Pacific participants attending the workshop have been further strengthened due to the attendance of a senior technical representative from the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) – Mr Kenrick Burke. This has allowed Pacific based participants to gain insights on the strategies that have been adopted in the Caribbean Region in mobilising critical finance for their climate change priorities
The Government of Fiji has reaffirmed its strong support for CFAN’s role in enhancing national capacity to access climate finance not only in Fiji but across the region.
“The Pacific’s climate priorities demand enduring partnerships and consistent investment in local expertise. CFAN’s support remains integral to achieving both our national goals and our collective regional resilience,” said Dr. Michael.
The Regional CFAN Workshop represents a vital step in unlocking the climate finance urgently needed by Pacific Island nations to deliver on their adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development commitments.
For more information contact: Dirk Snyman - Coordinator - Climate Finance, CCES, Pacific Community SPC, dirks@spc.int