Riya Bhagwan 
[Photo: FILE]
Fiji has been selected as one of five countries to pilot a new COP31 initiative aimed at helping developing countries turn climate plans into projects that can attract funding.
The Climate Implementation Bridge, or BRIDGE, was announced by the COP31 Presidency at New York Climate Week.
Fiji, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan will be the first countries to test the initiative.
BRIDGE will work with countries to develop finance-ready projects aligned with their climate and development priorities, while helping strengthen national capacity to access climate finance.
The initiative is being delivered in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme.
The COP31 Presidency says feedback from the five pilot countries will help shape and expand the initiative to other countries, with strong interest from Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries.
For Fiji, the initiative comes ahead of the official COP31 Pre-COP ministerial meeting and Leaders’ event, which Fiji will co-host with Tuvalu and Australia from October 5 to 8 in Nadi.
The event will bring global climate decision-makers to the Pacific and highlight the region’s climate priorities and locally led solutions.
The BRIDGE initiative is intended to address a key challenge facing developing countries — turning climate commitments into projects that are ready to receive financing.
The COP31 Presidency has also launched a Sustainable Urban Resilience Financing Facility, focused on helping developing countries finance climate-resilient projects in cities.
COP31 will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20.
