27 March 2012: The success of the Palau Green Fee, an added departure tax, was discussed at the fifth Oceania Regional Preparatory Meeting for the 11th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention).
During the meeting, which took place in Palau, from 26-30 March 2012, participants discussed sustainable financing mechanisms for protected areas, including wetlands, highlighting the Palau Green Fee as a success story. According to Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the Government of Palau has announced that the fee will be increased from 15 to 30 US dollars in October. Since its launch in November 2009, it has raised approximately USD$2.26 million for local community conservation efforts under the Protected Areas Network in Palau. It supports conservation sites that were identified in the 2001 Rapid Ecological Assessment of Palau as rich biodiversity habitats.

Part of the Green Fee also contributes to the Endowment Fund to assist Palau in achieving the Micronesia Challenge to effectively conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020. [SPREP Press Release]