The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has been accredited to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as a Regional Implementing Entity, one of the first to be approved by a 24-members Board.

SPREP will be able to submit applications for funding of project and programs on behalf of Pacific island member countries of up to USD $50 million.

The Green Climate Fund was established in 2010 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to serve as the central global investment vehicle for climate finance. It will help developing countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. To date, 32 countries have pledged an initial $10.2 billion to the Fund, including seven developing countries.

“We are extremely pleased by this announcement, it’s a huge positive step for the Pacific island community which opens the door for our island region to start benefiting from the GCF, and seeing actions happen to both mitigate and adapt to climate change, the impacts of which we are feeling now,” said David Sheppard, the Director-General of SPREP.

The GCF Board is composed of an equal number of members from developing and developed country parties.

Representation from developing country parties includes the representatives of relevant United Nations regional groupings and representatives from small island developing States and least developed countries.


In accrediting SPREP to the Green Climate Fund, the Board has also recommended that SPREP continue with development of its grant management guidelines, and continue to strengthen its environmental and social risk management processes, to support future application to additional accreditation levels.