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Add to Preferred SourcesThe Morrison Government is stepping up its renewable energy investment and climate and disaster resilience support in the Pacific by partnering with nearest neighbours to protect their security and livelihoods.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia recognised the specific climate change challenges the Pacific faced.
The Prime Minister said he would detail a climate change and oceans package at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu that included $500 million over five years from 2020 from existing aid funds to help Pacific nations invest in renewable energy and climate and disaster resilience.
“The Pacific is our home, which we share as a family of nations. We’re here to work with our Pacific partners to confront the potential challenges they face in the years ahead,” the Prime Minister said.
“The $500 million we’re investing for the Pacific’s renewable energy and its climate change and disaster resilience builds on the $300 million for 2016-2020. This highlights our commitment to not just meeting our emissions reduction obligations at home but supporting our neighbours and friends.”
The additional $500 million will be used to invest in renewable energy, ensure new infrastructure can withstand disasters and ensure health services are well-positioned to respond to changing needs.
DFAT investments to date have contributed to projects as diverse as:
- ensuring roads and bridges we help build are more resilient to extreme weather in Papua New Guinea so that its people have continued access to markets and can visit their families during times of disaster;
- the Tina River Hydropower project which will provide power to most of Honiara in the Solomon Islands for years to come; and
- building climate-resilient schools in Kiribati.
The climate change and oceans package also include a new climate infrastructure window in the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific to advance the region’s energy ambitions, as well as new bilateral climate change dialogues with Pacific Island countries to better understand their needs and ambitions.
The Government has also set aside $140 million from the aid budget for the Australian Private Sector Mobilisation Climate Fund to mobilise significant private sector investments in low emissions, climate-resilient solutions for the Pacific and Southeast Asia. The fund will ultimately develop a significant portfolio of projects with contributions from the private sector and other agencies.
Australia will continue to be a champion for the needs of the Pacific through the Step Up programme whether it’s for the environment, for security or for investment to support a region that is secure strategically, stable economically and sovereign politically.
Original source: DFAT
Published on 13 August 2019