Nov 2022 -> Private Sector engagement with Government on Climate Change Adaptation

Samoa

APIA, SAMOA - The Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) in partnership with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) through the support from the Pacific Adaptation To Climate Change And Resilience Building (PACRES) Project, coordinated a workshop on Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events for Private Sector engagement. The workshop objectives were to raise private sector awareness on climate science risks and extreme weather events, as well as identify the role of the private sector in national strategies that address climate change under key development sectors such as agriculture, tourism, energy, transport and environment.

“We are fortunate, through the Public Private Partnership, to have the support and participations of the relevant Government ministries and agencies in today’s workshop – the technical expertise and experience from our list of presenters today is warmly welcomed, and we look forward to this great opportunity for dialogue in climate change impacts on the private sector,” said SCCI Members Services Manager, Lote Lima in her opening remarks.

The workshop offered a venue for direct communication between representatives of the private sector and relevant government stakeholders about formulation of policies and the implementation of national climate adaptation strategies. Accessing resources and the prioritized industry sectors where these resources are distributed are two common issues that business owners raised. With these key development sectors identified, participants were able to learn on the respective sector strategies, the supporting activities and the expected outcomes. Equally important are programs, projects, and opportunities for engagement through awareness and visibility, to capacity building or actual implementation through services and supply of goods.

One of the participants, Saifagaloa Sala-Leafa of Pacific Express Samoa Inc. Ltd commented, “I felt that I gained very good overview of the reality of climate change and how I should steer the direction of our  company  especially  in  terms  of  its  Business  Continuity  Planning  to  ensure  that  we  not only adapt to  climate  change  impacts,  but  at  same  time,  to  be  more  mindful  of  how  we could contribute to mitigating actions to counter climate change. Personally, I came away feeling a bit more informed on how I could continue dialogue with my staff and work colleagues of ‘how can we help’ and ‘how can we prepare and adapt’. It was certainly a lot of information to try to take in at a small time, but I feel that I have enough info to look into this important matter at a greater detail.”

“The discussions and exchange shall inform an Engagement Strategy for the private sector on climate change that will be developed. This shall guide the role of the private sector in addressing adaptation response as well as mitigation efforts through simplified and accessible climate financing.” Technical Advisor, Ulu Bismark Crawley.

The Samoa Chamber is appreciative of these opportunities and the assistance of the Government and our regional partners in interacting with business about climate change-related issues and exchanging best practices in disaster risk management and mitigation strategies.

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Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific

The Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2016 endorsed the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific: An integrated approach to address climate and disaster risk management for more resilient development in the Pacific (FRDP).

 

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Humanitarian Action in the Pacific Report

One of the key activity of the TWG Human Mobility was to conduct a ‘Mapping and tracking of all the localisation activities conducted by partners in-country.’ Given the recent impacts of COVID 19, The objective of the mapping survey was two-fold which was tracking of localisation activities and the impact of COVID 19 on humanitarian activities at national level.

 

 

 

The mapping activity which was conducted through an online survey from the 17th till the 31st of July 2020 focused on;

– Providing an overview on the strength of localisation actors in the region,

– Identify areas to strengthen or to advance the implementation of the FRDP from all actors.

– Identify the impacts of COVID 19 on organisations and how they have localised their responses.

– Promote south-south collaboration amongst actors in sharing of good practices and local know how to reduce disaster risks and guaranteeing an inclusive and accessible humanitarian actions for all Pacific people.

The results of the mapping activity has been compiled into a report and was endorsed by the TWG members in February 2021. Click below to retrieve a copy.

 

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PRP Charter

The development of a PRP Charter is a key part of the 9-point strategy and provides clarity on what the PRP is and the roles and obligations of its members.

A copy of the PRP Charter is available on the link below.

PRP Charter - English

PRP Charter - French

 

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