At the Pre-COP31 meeting in Nadi, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Tonga highlighted public finance reforms aimed at strengthening climate resilience. Solomon Islands Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, Wayne Ghemu, emphasized the importance of climate budget tagging, a tool that helps governments identify, track, and manage climate-related spending throughout the budget process.
Minister Ghemu said that while discussions on climate finance often focus on accessing funds, it is equally important to ensure governments have effective systems to direct those resources to the communities and priorities most affected by climate change. He stressed that public financial management reforms are essential to building resilience because national budgets determine how resources are allocated.
Climate budget tagging enables governments to measure how much they are investing in climate action, identify where funds are being spent, and assess whether investments are reaching vulnerable communities. It also strengthens links between climate policies, national planning, budgeting, implementation, and accountability.
The event also highlighted Tonga’s climate budget tagging reforms and the establishment of the Tonga Climate Change Fund, while Solomon Islands showcased efforts to integrate climate budgeting with vulnerability assessments. According to Ghemu, these reforms help ensure that budget decisions are informed by the realities and needs of communities most exposed to climate impacts.
The minister also welcomed ongoing regional discussions on a Pacific climate finance taxonomy, which could improve consistency, transparency, and evidence-based advocacy for climate finance across the region.
Ghemu emphasized that strengthening domestic financial systems does not shift responsibility away from developed countries. Instead, it demonstrates Pacific leadership and ensures that both domestic and international climate finance can be effectively managed and directed toward national climate priorities. He reiterated that the international community must continue providing adequate, predictable, and accessible climate financing to vulnerable Pacific nations on the frontline of climate change.
Source : EDDIE OSIFELO Nadi, Fiji
