Unlocking climate finance to a region at the coalface of climate change

28 August 2024

Papua New Guinea’s Special Envoy for Climate and Environment, Ruel Yamuna, is already at the forefront of his nation’s efforts to combat climate change.

Now, as the inaugural PhD candidate at Monash Business School’s Pacific Action for Climate Transitions (PACT) research centre, he will combine his legal and policy expertise with rigorous research to tackle one of the region’s most pressing problems: the equitable flow of climate finance.

PACT's inaugural PhD candidate Ruel Yamuna.

“If I had to pinpoint our greatest challenge, it would definitely be access - access to climate finance, to capacity building, to technology transfer, among other challenges,” he said.

Mr Yamuna said the need for innovative solutions had never been more pressing.

“When external funding isn’t accessible, you can’t mobilise climate action at the scale needed to achieve mitigation and adaptation priorities,” he said.

“My research aims to examine the barriers to accessing climate finance, to understand organisational strengths and weaknesses better so we can develop policy prescriptions that will lead to legal reforms which in turn can enable access to climate finance in a more predictable manner.”

Forging a new generation of climate leaders

PACT’s Director, Professor Paul Dargusch, has an ambitious vision for his centre’s PhD program.

“The Pacific is at the forefront of climate impacts, and policy solutions are needed to ensure countries have the right mechanisms in place to access climate finance and accelerate climate action,” Prof Dargusch said.

The industry-focused, tailored model was designed to allow candidates to balance research with their professional commitments.

“We want to upskill professionals working in government agencies across the Pacific to become leaders in their field and drive action on climate change from a local perspective,” he said.

The program also included opportunities for candidates to engage with supervisors and peers at Monash University, supported by travel grants.

“Ultimately, this is about building sustainable research capacity across the Pacific," he said.

“By nurturing homegrown talent and leaders, we can create a lasting legacy of climate expertise that drives positive change.”

Opportunity for meaningful impact

Mr Yamuna said entering the research space for the first time was exciting.

“There are many good research programs at different universities around the world,” he said.

“However, I’ve always believed that if I were to pursue this academic path, it would be about making a unique, region-specific contribution that addresses a critical gap, which is what attracted me to PACT.”

The flexibility of the PhD program offered by the centre was another major drawcard.

“It has enabled me to continue working in my current role as Special Envoy, providing high-level support to my Minister and Colleagues back home as and when needed, while also engaging in important research that has a meaningful impact,” he said.

‘We could easily play the victim card’

Mr Yamuna’s commitment to the cause is as personal as it is professional.

“Papua New Guinea has just one per cent of the global land mass, yet we are home to seven per cent of the world’s total biodiversity – that makes us a biodiversity superpower,” he said.

“Coming from a small island (and) developing country, one which is highly climate-vulnerable alongside our brothers and sisters in the South Pacific region, this has motivated me to see how best I could make a small contribution to the pool of knowledge within this research space.”

"It makes you realise you’re not just a victim of this juggernaut called climate change, you’re also potentially part of the solution"

And he remains optimistic and driven.

“Being a climate-vulnerable country, we could easily play the victim card, however, the recognition by our leaders that we, as a member of the global community, have a role to play in addressing climate change is one of the inspiring factors driving me to continue this research journey,” he said.

“For me personally, being part of that process gives me a sense of responsibility – it makes you realise you’re not just a victim of this juggernaut called climate change, you’re also potentially part of the solution.”

Learn more about Monash Business School's PhD programs and how to apply.