DEPUTY Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica called for reforms to global climate financing systems.
Speaking during the Pre-COP31 session on Access to Climate Finance at the Sheraton Hotel on Denarau, Mr Kamikamica said communities in Cakaudrove and Kadavu needing seawalls or reliable water systems could not afford to wait years for funding approvals while climate threats continued to grow.
“For Fiji, and for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries everywhere, the climate finance problem is not only about how much money exists in the system. It is about how far out of reach that money sits,” he said in a statement.
Mr Kamikamica pointed to the Pacific Resilience Facility where regional and global leaders had committed funds to this week, marking a significant push for the region to adopt its own climate finance facilities following years of accessibility challenges.
He reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to working with the incoming COP31 Presidency, Australia and development partners to remove barriers to climate finance.
Mr Kamikamica stressed that international climate commitments must translate into practical solutions that strengthen community resilience, protect livelihoods and ensure vulnerable Pacific nations receive the financial support they needed.
