5 September 2019: The Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC), or Centre of Excellence, has officially opened in Apia, Samoa. Hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the PCCC is a partnership between the Governments of Japan and Samoa. It seeks to improve regional coordination and share climate change information, traditional knowledge and solutions.

As the regional Centre of Excellence, the PCCC will act as a hub for climate change information, research and innovation, and provide practical tools, knowledge, support and training to address adaptation and mitigation priorities of Pacific islanders.

The Government of New Zealand will provide financial support for staff positions, including the PCCC Manager, a readiness adviser to help SPREP Members access climate change finance, and technical advisers to coordinate knowledge management and apply science to address challenges. Going forward, Japan will provide a technical advisory training programme on adaptation and mitigation.

Climate change practitioners from the Pacific put forward the idea of a regional climate change center ten years ago during the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable in Majuro, the Marshall Islands. In 2012, the SPREP Secretariat proposed, and countries agreed, to request support from Japan through the Samoan Government to construct the PCCC at SPREP headquarters. In 2015, the Government of Japan accepted the request from SPREP and the Government of Samoa to build the Centre.

The PCCC’s construction cost approximately USD 8 million, and was undertaken by Japanese and Samoan construction companies. It will get 50% of its energy needs from solar panels, and use energy and water saving technologies. The PCCC aims to run on 100% renewable energy in the future. [SPREP News Story] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Pacific Climate Change Centre Construction]