SIG sets a path forward for its climate finance priorities

 

Tuesday 06, December 2022

THE Solomon Islands Government has launched a keystone publication to help the country improve access to climate finance and effective utilization of this financing, through strengthened resource management and coordination between the Government and development partners.

The roadmap sets the path forward for 2022-2027, and was launched at an event on Thursday 1st December 2022 in Honiara, Solomon Islands.

This critical publication identifies key barriers, and opportunities for three priority areas — accessing climate finance; undertaking internal system reform to better manage resources and investments; and strengthened transparency and accountability. Furthermore, it addresses cross-cutting issues of governance, coordination and monitoring and evaluation.

Honourable Harry Kuma, Minister of Finance and Treasury of Solomon Islands, said: “My Ministry is uniquely placed to facilitate an integrated risk-informed approach to development and improving access to climate finance in the Solomon Islands.”

“The Roadmap is a crucial milestone for our climate finance work and to advancing the sustainability agenda in the Solomon Islands, particularly as we strive to meet our commitments on tackling climate change,” he added.

The roadmap is intended to improve the country’s ability to access external resources for investment in climate and disaster-related activities. It provides a holistic approach across government sectors and recommends establishing processes to understand how funding flows through government systems, as well as to the private sector, and non-governmental organisations. The roadmap also emphasizes the need for a strong enabling environment and recommends the adoption of a robust legal and policy framework.

Susan Sulu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination emphasized that “the roadmap provides strategic actions that pave the way forward to meet our national development and international climate change objectives”.

Mckinnie Dentana, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury emphasised that “coordination and partnership across and between ministries and with other stakeholders is critical to achieve the ambitions laid out in the climate finance roadmap”.

With the launch of the roadmap complete, the work now starts to implement the recommendations and activities laid out in the document. The roadmap emphasizes the need for all stakeholder involvement, “umi together for a resilient Solomon Islands”. – Joint Statement