Vanuatu seeks faster access to climate funds as needs outpace delivery

By Ron Rocky Coloma

Climate funding commitments grow but remain difficult to unlock at the pace Pacific island communities need, according to regional officials and development partners.

Despite more than $1 billion in climate-related support now flowing into the Pacific island region through major funds, including the Green Climate Fund, access barriers stagnate delivery on the ground, even as climate risks intensify across small island states.

“Yet the communities most exposed to climate impacts often face the highest barriers to finance, complex processes, stretched capacity and support that can be fragmented,” said Nicolette Brent, the United Kingdom’s high commissioner to Vanuatu.

The gap between available funding and actual access is emerging as a central challenge for Pacific nations, where governments plans are in place but implementation remains constrained by systems that are difficult to navigate.

“At the national level, we have developed our country programs, listing projects that we intend to do. We have priced them,” said David Gibson, director general at Vanuatu’s Ministry of Climate Change.

Across the Pacific, countries are increasingly framing climate finance not as a question of availability but of accessibility. While multilateral funds have expanded their portfolios, local institutions often lack the administrative capacity or accreditation required to secure and manage large-scale funding.

Germany, one of the region’s key contributors, has pledged significant support, including contributions to the Pacific Resilience Facility and broader global climate funds. But officials acknowledged that existing systems are not yet delivering at the scale or speed required.

ADVERTISEMENT

German Ambassador Beate Grzeski, recognized that “more has to be done,” citing persistent challenges such as “accreditation hurdles” and “limited administrative capacities.”

Those barriers are particularly acute for small island developing states, where governments must balance immediate climate threats with complex funding requirements set by international institutions.

Data shared by the Green Climate Fund shows that all 14 Pacific small island developing states now have access to funding, with investments in the region surpassing $1 billion in projects and readiness support.

Vanuatu alone has accessed about $106 million in project funding, along with additional capacity-building support.

“Our needs are quite big,” Gibson said, raising concerns about whether current arrangements can meet those demands.

The issue is not only financial but structural. Accessing funds often requires detailed proposals, compliance with international standards and coordination across multiple agencies, steps that can delay implementation even when funding is approved.

Regional partners say reforms are underway to address these bottlenecks, including efforts to streamline application processes and strengthen local institutions.

“Success today means three things,” Brent said. “First, a shared understanding of the current state of funding and reform. Second, honest experience sharing on what it takes to move from application to implementation that reaches communities. Third, practical ideas for how finance processes can better align with national priorities.”

For Pacific countries, alignment with national priorities is critical. Governments are increasingly developing their own climate strategies and project pipelines, but they need funding systems that can respond directly to those plans.

At the same time, there is growing concern that global attention may be shifting away from climate issues, potentially affecting future funding flows.

“Because of the focus on security issues, more in the Middle East and many other sorts of issues that are happening at the moment, you all would recognize that the conversation is shifting away from climate change,” said Zarak Khan, regional manager for the Green Climate Fund.

He warned that without sustained political focus, climate finance could fall short of expectations in the years ahead.

“If we don’t have these political conversations, and if you’re not sending the right signals to our partners, then it’s not just the GCF, but you also have the Global Environment Facility Adaptation Fund, the Pacific Resilience Facility – all of these funds won’t have the level of resources that they are trying to secure,” Khan said.

To address both access and scale, regional initiatives are exploring new approaches, including multi-country platforms and stronger coordination between funding institutions.

One proposal under discussion involves using existing readiness funding to support regional mechanisms such as the Pacific Resilience Facility, which aims to channel resources more directly to communities.

The goal is to reduce duplication, speed up approvals and ensure that funding reaches frontline areas more efficiently.

For Pacific leaders, the urgency is clear. Climate impacts, including stronger storms, rising seas and coastal erosion, are already affecting livelihoods, infrastructure and national economies.

“Climate finance is not only a commitment. It’s a test of whether the international system can respond at the pace and scale that frontline countries require,” Brent said.

Subscribe to

our digital

monthly issue