Fiji, Sept. 3 -- Pacific Island countries could gain faster access to Green Climate Fund (GCF) financing under reforms that have cut project approval and accreditation processes from years to a target of nine months, GCF Executive Director Mafalda Duarte says.

In a PACNEWS exclusive interview on the margins of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting in Koror, Duarte said the reforms were a direct response to repeated concerns from Pacific leaders and other developing countries that climate finance was too slow and difficult to access.

"One of the first things we did was actually to change a little bit the way we engage with the countries," Duarte said.

She said the GCF began a reform agenda three years ago and has since reorganised ...