The UK has announced £12.9 million in new funding to support Pacific-led climate initiatives, as part of its ongoing commitment to global climate action.
The announcement comes as Indo-Pacific Minister Catherine West attends a regional ministerial meeting in Tonga this week.
During her first overseas trip as Minister, West arrived in New Zealand on Sunday, August 25, for discussions on climate, defense, and trade. She then traveled to Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on Tuesday, August 27, to participate in the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) meeting.
Minister West emphasized the UK's dedication to reestablishing connections with global partners and leading international climate action. She stated, "The climate crisis requires global, long-term solutions, but we must also take immediate steps to support countries on the frontlines, such as our partners in the Pacific. That is why the UK is backing Pacific-led efforts with £12.9 million in new funding."
The newly announced programs include:
-£1.3 million in technical support to establish the Pacific Resilience Facility, a regionally-governed investment fund providing long-term, reliable climate finance to Pacific countries.
-£5 million in additional funding for the UK's Transforming Energy Access (TEA) Pacific program, which aids the early testing and scaling of new technologies to provide clean, affordable energy to communities. Projects supported by the TEA fund include a solar and hydrogen-powered mini-grid system that supplies clean water and oxygen to a remote hospital in Papua New Guinea, serving 15,000 people.
-£2 million in technical assistance and training to develop evidence-based financial and climate finance policy through the International Monetary Fund.
-£3 million for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), a leading Pacific organization dedicated to environmental and nature conservation.
-£1.6 million for the new Digital Earth Pacific program, a regional initiative that uses satellite data to monitor environmental changes over time, helping governments and communities better respond to the impacts of climate change.
In addition to climate action, Minister West will discuss efforts to strengthen defense and economic ties with PIF members, including through police training and the UK's Trade Partnerships Programme. While in Tonga, she will also highlight the role of sports in addressing gender inequality by delivering UK-funded rugby kits to local women's and girls' teams.
In Wellington, her talks focused on joint efforts to protect regional and global security, including support for Ukraine and New Zealand’s continued contribution to Operation Interflex, which has trained over 30,000 Ukrainian troops in the UK. Minister West will also visit Octopus Energy, a UK clean energy provider, to discuss the UK's goal of achieving zero-carbon electricity by 2030. This visit aligns with the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which came into force in May 2023 and is expected to boost bilateral trade by 60% by 2035.
Since taking office in July 2024, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has prioritized reconnecting the UK with global partners to ensure security and prosperity at home and abroad. This includes advocating for coordinated global action to address the climate and nature emergency, in partnership with countries most affected by these challenges. Photo by Tony Bowden from Tallinn, Estonia, Wikimedia commons.