Australia is actively supporting Papua New Guinea as the country accelerates its shift toward climate-resilient development, with Morobe Province recently taking a major step forward.
A two-day Climate-Resilient Green Growth (CRGG) Strategy Validation Workshop was held in Lae under the Australia-funded Climate Finance Initiative for Resilience and a Sustainable Transition (Climate FIRST) project, reinforcing Australia’s strong partnership with PNG on climate change adaptation. Convened by the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) alongside the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the event brought together provincial leaders, national government agencies, development partners, and private sector representatives to validate Morobe’s CRGG Strategy and prioritize key investments for sustainable growth.
Participants backed climate-resilient efforts across the agriculture, transport, and water sectors, while mapping out a pipeline of projects—including renewable energy, climate-proof infrastructure, and improved waste and water management systems—to be developed into bankable investments by 2027.
This milestone in Morobe builds on earlier progress in the Eastern Highlands, where stakeholders recently endorsed their own Eastern Highlands CRGG Strategy 2026–2032, making them one of the first provinces to build climate resilience and green growth directly into local planning and budgeting.
Together, these achievements show the growing momentum of locally led climate action across PNG, highlighting how vital it is to empower provinces to identify their own priorities, build strong investment pipelines, and access climate finance for long-term survival.
The Climate FIRST project stands as an Australian-supported flagship climate resilience program implemented by GGGI PNG to help the country access vital climate funding. As provinces like Morobe and Eastern Highlands continue to advance their green growth strategies, PNG is building a coordinated, nationwide approach to climate-resilient development, ensuring the entire country is much better prepared for the environmental challenges ahead.
