The German Government will commit another 10 million euros to climate change programmes in Pacific countries, it was announced in Copenhagen, Denmark.

This is in addition to the current 4.2 million euro programme being implemented under the SPC/GTZ Pacific-German Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region. The project is currently operating in three countries – Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.

While the finer details are still being worked out, the commitment is to intensify existing efforts and enable the implementation of national policy programmes through such mechanisms as forestry inventories, consultation and capacity building programmes.

The announcement was made at a meeting between officials from the Governments of Fiji and Vanuatu and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) together with officials from the German Technical Cooperation agency (GTZ). It was initially conveyed by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development to Pacific leaders in Berlin a few days ago. Present at the Berlin meeting were the Presidents of Kiribati, Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands, the Prime Ministers of Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga.

Fiji's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola welcomed the commitment, saying it was a boost to the Pacific's climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes in the region.

"We thank the Government of Germany for this very kind gesture and we appreciate the recognition given to our call for funding and financing projects that will help our people cope with the impacts of climate change," said Ratu Inoke.

The SPC/GTZ regional programme on adaptation to climate change focuses on sustainable management of land-based natural resources with mainstreaming of climate change issues in regional and national policies and plans. Avoiding deforestation is a fundamental element of the project's strategy in Fiji.

In December 2008, the German government formally stated its financial commitment to working with SPC on the proposed project.

The project, which aligns with the Pacific Island Framework for Action on Climate Change 2006–2015, is supporting Vanuatu's implementation of its National Adaptation Programme for Action and assisting Fiji and Tonga in the fulfilment of their national communications to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The additional financial support, which will come from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, will bring the total funding for the project to 14.2 million euros. SPC, 15/12/09.