The conclusion of a two day training and workshop on Climate Change will now enable financial institutions and business advisers the leverage to comprehend the approach in delivering climate related services and finance.
Business Link Pacific (BLP) facilitated the training and workshop with the support of the Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion, the Green Finance Centre and the New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade.
On Monday June 24, eleven BLP approved business advisors attended a Climate Climate Change Innovation Training aimed at preparing business advisors with knowledge, approaches and tools to offer climate related services to SMEs.
BLP approved business advisors that attended the training included; Beach Accounting Advisory, Human Capital Management Solutions, PK Advisors, Aidan Limited, Infinity Workforce Consultancy, KLG & Co, Business Consultants, Kowas Charted Accountants, SNS Tech, Emmanuel Bogiono & Associates, Spectrum Consultancy Services and Itanata At Work Services Limited.
The second day a Climate Change Financing Workshop held on Tuesday June 25, focused on Financial Institutions which saw a total of 18 participants mainly from the commercial banks, micro banks, savings and loan societies and other licensed financial intuitions.
The objective of the workshop was to understand the need and benefit of offering climate finance in Papua New Guinea and learn how to create appropriate SME climate finance for the respective financial intuitions.
Shira Dumba, an Associate Director, Resources, Energy and Infrastructure with ANZ Bank, shared her thoughts on the Climate Financing Workshop, “Coming from ANZ as a global bank, we already have a sustainable finance products in the global market and so what was beneficial for me was trying to understand what we can implement that in the local PNG context, that was my big take away.”
“A big challenge but we are looking forward to this new phase that we are going through with green finance loan products and help mitigate climate change,” she added.
Karai Morea, Head of SME, Commercial – Moni Plus, was grateful for the opportunity to be taught about the importance of climate change finance and benefits it would have on the country.
“Attending the workshop gave me a broad overview of what the impact is and how it’s related “Mr. Morea said.
Lillian Camacho, Trainer Climate Change Advisor –BLP, when commenting on the participant’s interaction and engagement over the two days, was encouraged by the amount of interest and discussion adding this showed the awareness and eagerness to learn more.
“Business advisors basically walked away understanding how they could analyze and integrate inclusive practices and gender inclusion, disability inclusion, etc, into the climate change projects that businesses have been designing.”
“Managers from banks and financial institutions learnt core concepts around climate change, what climate change is, the context in PNG and a lot of work has that has gone into developing a national frame work taxonomy for green support in the country,” she added.
Richard Busby, Senior SME Banking Specialist – BLP, said it was encouraging to see the enthusiasm and willingness from the participants to learn new concepts they can take away as part of the impending new policy that is coming into force in PNG around climate change, development of new products and the level of engagements and collaboration.
