FIJI: ENHANCING DIRECT ACCESS TO CLIMATE FINANCE – PHASE 2

Fiji became a member of GGGI in 2014, and the GGGI office in Fiji was established in 2015 in Suva and is based within the Ministry of Finance. GGGI is currently supporting the Climate Change Division (CCD) of the Office of the Prime Minister, which is Fiji’s secretariat for the Nationally Designated Authority (NDA) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), in the delivery of Fiji’s second GCF Readiness Project: “Enhancing Direct Access to Climate Finance in Fiji – Phase 2”. This second phase of the Readiness project aims to build on the Phase I by continuing the work strengthening the capacity of the NDA Secretariat and institutional procedures for climate action, as well as Fiji’s national accredited direct access entity (DAE) the Fiji Development Bank (FDB), submit the Stage II requirements of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) as a second DAE and support capacity building and the submission of the application for accreditation to the GCF. The work described in these Terms of Reference fall under this Readiness project.

Fiji, as a Small Island Developing State, faces extreme climate vulnerability. The country is already experiencing the negative impacts of climate change, through changing weather patterns, including droughts and flooding events, and increasingly damaging natural disasters. The current average asset losses due to tropical cyclones and floods are estimated at more than FJD 500 million per year, representing more than 5% of Fiji’s GDP. Climate change will affect all areas of life for the people of Fiji, and the expected impacts include reduced agricultural and fisheries productivity, declining health outcomes, eroding shorelines and riverbanks, shortage of water and higher infrastructure costs.

The Fiji Government therefore recognizes the importance of adapting to climate change and coordinating climate change related adaptation policies, strategies, plans, and activities to reduce the vulnerability and enhance the resilience of Fiji’s communities to the impacts of climate change and disasters. Fiji has put in place its Climate Change Act, National Climate Change Policy, National Adaptation Plan, National Climate Finance Strategy, and Nationally Determined Contribution; and has also prepared a Climate Vulnerability Assessment amongst other things. Furthermore, while Fiji’s national CO2 equivalent emissions make up a mere 0.006% of global emissions, the Fiji Government and other non-government stakeholders have already taken steps to achieve decarbonisation in Fiji’s economy. Fiji has developed its NDC Roadmap setting a clear pathway to achieve its NDC targets and launched the Fiji Low Emission Development Strategy (LEDS) 2018-2050 at COP24, through which Fiji aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 across all sectors of its economy.

External financial and technical support is needed to achieve its adaptation and mitigation targets and Fiji has received funding from the GCF for the “Enhancing Direct Access to Climate Finance in Fiji” Readiness project which is being implemented by the CCD with GGGI as the delivery partner. The Readiness project outcome objectives include:

1. Ensuring that the NDA secretariat staff are trained and the policies, procedures and stakeholder mechanism necessary to fulfil the NDA’s role in an inclusive, equitable and transparent manner are fully operational, including a strong engagement with sub-national institutions and organisations and the private sector. Aligning with the GCF and the Government of Fiji’s GESI standards all trainings for MoF have a target of 20 NDA secretariat staff with an equal gender balance of female and male participation of staff and consultants.
2. Supporting the MoF to submit its Stage 2 application for accreditation to the GCF and respond to and fulfil requirements which are identified and strengthen MoF capacity through capacity building, operationalization of policies, establishment of SOPs and prepare for submission of projects to the GCF.

This assignment contributes to the first two outcomes of this Readiness project.

The incumbent for the assignment will work closely with the CCD and the Ministry of Finance. The consultant will report to the GGGI Pacific Regional Adaptation Lead and will liaise with and work closely with the NDA Secretariat leadership, the MOF, FDB other GGGI staff and consultants involved in different parts of this Readiness project and on other related projects.

Building on work carried out through the GCF readiness in Phase II and in line with the two outcomes of the Readiness project identified above, the incumbent will update the Readiness Needs Assessment including needs in view of the Stage 2 accreditation of the MOF which is due 2024, look at a longer horizon to be able to develop a multiyear readiness proposal for the NDA and also build capacity and support the Fiji Development Bank. This will require identifying strategic priorities for the readiness funding and complementing the newly developed GCF Country Program (National Climate Finance Strategy).

The needs assessment is being linked to the Stage 2 accreditation of the MOF and the consultant will also support the Government of Fiji, particularly the CCD and MOF in completing the requirements and forms necessary for the Stage 2 accreditation application.

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