In this bulletin:
1. PACIFIC — AI must support journalists, not replace them: Pacific Media Summit
2. PACIFIC — Pacific Leaders unite to advance Global Ocean action and protect the Blue Pacific
3. PACIFIC — Fiji Govt rejects claims Constitution review was rushed
4. PACIFIC — Pacific leaders call for stronger cooperation on digital connectivity
5. UN — Poorer nations will be among the last to benefit if global emissions cut to net zero
6. PACIFIC — Fiji strengthens security push as Pacific Defence Chiefs meet
7. NZ — Pacific visa access has become an election battleground as NZ First challenges Labour
8. PACNEWS BIZ — Global economy expected to stabilise, but fiscal limits and rising costs threaten growth
9. PACNEWS BIZ — Global renewables must double pace to meet 2030 target, report says
10. PACNEWS IN FOCUS — Why climate action now comes down to speed, finance and cooperation
11. PACNEWS DIGEST — Strengthening Pacific sexual and reproductive health through regional collaboration
12. PACNEWS DIGEST — Vanuatu stakeholders endorse new micro-qualifications to strengthen adolescent health and wellbeing leadership
PACIFIC – PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT/AI: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Wed 23 Sep 2026
AI must support journalists, not replace them: Pacific Media summit
By Pita Ligaiula in Savusavu
SAVUSAVU, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)— Pacific newsrooms must use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen journalism without sacrificing human judgement, editorial standards and cultural expertise, speakers at the 8th Pacific Media Summit in Fiji said.
Australian Associated Press (AAP) Editor-in-Chief Andrew Drummond said AI was changing journalism rapidly, but the core responsibility of journalists remained the same providing accurate information audiences could trust.
“AI won’t cost your job, but a journalist using AI will,” Drummond said, citing a growing debate within the media industry.
He said journalists should familiarise themselves with AI and consider how it could be used in their newsrooms, while maintaining strong editorial controls.
Drummond said AAP’s AI policy required a “human-in-the-loop” approach, meaning any process involving AI must start and finish with human involvement.
“Be transparent. If you apply AI to your workflow, tell your audience.
“But most importantly, despite the technology at play, maintain your journalistic rigour. Don’t simply accept what’s put in front of you,” he said at the plenary in Savusavu.
Drummond said verification remained central to journalism, particularly as misinformation and disinformation continued to undermine public trust.
“We need journalists for facts. We need facts for trust. And we need trust for a shared reality,” he said, quoting United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming.
Drummond said journalists did not need to be specialist fact-checkers to play a role in countering misinformation.
“As journalists, what we are doing to verify the information we are sharing with the world is really, really important,” he said.
He also highlighted emerging uses of AI in newsrooms, including facial recognition and automated publication of sports photographs, but said Pacific media organisations were at different stages of experimentation.
“It’s important to know that despite all the talk, while lots of newsrooms are advanced, there are also lots of newsrooms that are still very much in an experimental stage with AI technology,” he said.
Pacific Media Network (PMN) CEO, Don Mann said AI could deliver major gains for Pacific-language journalism if people, language and cultural judgement remained at the centre.
PMN established an AI policy in 2024 and developed a Gemini-based news translation system capable of translating news bulletins into several Pacific languages.
Mann said the system was designed to produce broadcast-ready language rather than literal word-for-word translations.
The tool incorporates PMN’s editorial style guide, broadcast guidelines, language dictionaries and reference material to provide context-specific translations.
He said a 24-page pack-news document containing 19 stories could be processed into a broadcast-ready Cook Islands Māori news bulletin in about 90 seconds.
Mann said the system achieved about 80 to 90 percent accuracy depending on the language, but journalists still had to correct, fact-check and prepare the material for broadcast.
“We don’t say that it’s 100 percent accurate.
“AI helps us with the first heavy pass, and it doesn’t replace expertise,” he said.
Mann said first-language speakers remained responsible for the final decision.
“We’re not replacing journalists. We’re not replacing producers or language experts, but we’re using the tool to support them,” he said.
The approach, he said, gave journalists more time to develop stories and programmes while keeping language experts at the centre of editorial judgement and community understanding.
He said audiences needed to know when media organisations were using AI and how it was being used.
ABC International Development Digital Transformation Advisor Grant Sherlock said the shift towards digital news consumption was no longer a future prediction.
“The audience shift has happened, and the opportunities are waiting to be taken,” Sherlock said.
Sherlock said Pacific media organisations needed to continue building digital skills and ensuring digital transformation was treated as a whole-of-organisation responsibility.
He said more than 300 journalists had taken part in ABC International Development digital skills training across the Pacific in recent years, with more than 200 trained face-to-face in their countries.
Sherlock said digital teams could not be expected to carry the responsibility alone.
“The digital lift must be a whole of organisation effort,” he said.
He also highlighted the need for Pacific media organisations to develop new revenue models as audiences increasingly move online.
“This requires skills and understanding in accessing and interpreting analytics, in transforming sales teams for digital revenue models, and in deploying new systems to support these models,” he said.
Sherlock said PACMAS would continue working with the country Press Association in Australia to create placement and twinning opportunities for Pacific journalists, including sharing approaches to revenue models.
The plenary session on Digital Transformation, AI and New Technology: Opportunities for Pacific Media formed part of the Pacific Media Summit in Fiji, bringing together regional media practitioners to examine technology, newsroom capacity and sustainable journalism.
The speakers agreed that while technology was changing how news was produced and distributed, editorial judgement, verification, transparency and local expertise remained central to trusted journalism…..PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: PIFS PACNEWS 2: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Pacific Leaders unite to advance Global Ocean action and protect the Blue Pacific
NEW YORK, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PIFS)— As the world prepares for the largest annual climate summit in the coming months, Pacific Islands Forum Leaders have reaffirmed their collective commitment to protecting and sustainably managing the Blue Pacific Ocean, calling for stronger global action to safeguard the region’s people, resources and future generations.
Pacific Islands Forum Leaders endorsed the 2026 Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Ocean Statement at the recent 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Koror, Palau, laying out a unified regional agenda to strengthen advocacy and coordinated engagement across international processes on oceans, climate change, biodiversity, fisheries, pollution and sustainable development.
Guided by the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, Forum Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and underscored the importance of Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge in ocean stewardship.
“For Pacific peoples, the ocean is far more than a resource. It is our identity, our heritage and our future. The decisions taken by Leaders in Palau reflect a shared determination to ensure Pacific voices continue to shape global action on oceans, climate and biodiversity,” said Pacific Ocean Commissioner Dr Filimon Manoni.
Dr Manoni, who was reappointed by Forum Leaders to serve another three-year term as Pacific Ocean Commissioner, said Leaders were deeply concerned about the growing impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, overfishing and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
He noted that Pacific countries continue to play a vital role in supporting global climate stability, food security and marine biodiversity conservation.
Recognising the critical links between ocean health, climate action, and biodiversity conservation, Leaders called for urgent global action to keep the 1.5°C temperature goal within reach, address the impacts of sea-level rise, and accelerate implementation of international biodiversity and ocean commitments.
To strengthen regional leadership, Leaders committed to a Pacific Ocean Ministerial Meeting ahead of the Fourth United Nations Ocean Conference.
They also tasked the Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC) to coordinate regional preparations for the first Conference of the Parties to the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) in January 2027.
Leaders also encouraged continued mobilisation of financial and technical resources to support ratification and implementation of the BBNJ Agreement across the region, ensuring Pacific priorities, sovereignty, and the special circumstances of Small Island Developing States are fully recognised.
The Statement further reinforces commitments to sustainable fisheries management, stronger action against IUU fishing, reduction of marine pollution, completion of maritime boundaries, investment in ocean science and innovation, and increased access to Pacific-led ocean finance that supports resilient and sustainable blue economic development.
Pacific Leaders reaffirmed their collective commitment to the sustainable management of 100percent of the Blue Pacific Ocean and called on the international community to partner with Pacific nations to safeguard the ocean for current and future generations…..PACNEWS
PACIFIC – CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Fiji Govt rejects claims Constitution review was rushed
SUVA, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)–The Coalition Government has defended the pace of Fiji’s constitutional review process, rejecting criticism that it has been rushed.
The Constitutional Review Commission’s (CRC) report moves to its next stage with its discussion in Parliament.
Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga said the process was not rushed and defended the Government’s position as the elected representatives of the people.
Asked whether there had been enough public consultation by the CRC,Turaga said: “Much better than the 2013 Constitution.”
He said the CRC report could not be released publicly before being presented to Parliament because it formed part of the process for the President’s award to Parliament.
Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica also rejected the suggestion that the process had been too short.
He said six months was adequate when considered alongside Fiji’s constitutional history.
Pointing to the 1970, 1990, 1997 and 2013 constitutions, he said the proposed Constitution was an evolution of those documents.
“I’m of the view that well before this process took place, because everybody did not agree with the 2013 Constitution because it was imposed, every single person knows that this Constitution needed to be changed,” Kamikamica said.
“I think six months was a good enough process.”
He said there would be another round of discussion as the process moved forward.
Opposition MP Premila Kumar, however, said a Constitution review required a broader parliamentary process.
She said the process should have been handled by a select committee comprising Government and Opposition members, with agreed terms of reference.
“You know, if you want to have the whole country’s consensus on a supreme law,” Kumar said.
Minister for Meteorological Services, Public Works and Transport Ro Filipe Tuisawau described the tabling of the report as an important milestone in Fiji’s constitutional development.
Tuisawau said the review was an opportunity to address provisions stemming from past experiences, including changes relating to the Great Council of Chiefs and the Senate.
He said he was relieved by the stage the process had reached…..PACNEWS
PACIFIC – DIPLOMACY: TONGA GOVT/PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Pacific leaders call for stronger cooperation on digital connectivity
NEW YORK, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (TONGA GOVT/PACNEWS) — Pacific leaders and regional partners have called for greater cooperation to expand digital connectivity and ensure Pacific communities benefit from secure and reliable technology.
The call was made during a dialogue on Digital Connectivity Across the Pacific held in New York ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.
Tonga Prime Minister Lord Fakafanua joined Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo, Tonga’s Minister of Infrastructure Tevita Puloka, Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Divavesi Waqa and other Pacific government representatives at the meeting.
The side event, convened by the East-West Centre and the Pacific Islands Development Program, examined how governments, development partners and technology providers can work together to address connectivity gaps across the Pacific.
Discussions focused on the need to ensure digital transformation goes beyond building infrastructure, with attention to access, security, reliability and the protection of national sovereignty and personal data.
Participants also highlighted the importance of protecting Indigenous and traditional knowledge that forms part of Pacific identities.
The discussions were guided by the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the Lagatoi Declaration on Digital Transformation of the Pacific.
The meeting highlighted regional cooperation as essential to building trusted digital systems, strengthening cybersecurity and ensuring the benefits of digital development reach communities across the Pacific.
Tonga’s participation reflects its continued engagement with Pacific partners on digital transformation and efforts to build a digital future that supports sustainable development, strengthens regional resilience and advances the priorities of the Blue Pacific….PACNEWS
UN – GLOBAL EMISSIONS: THE GUARDIAN PACNEWS 2: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Poorer nations will be among the last to benefit if global emissions cut to net zero
MELBOURNE/NEW YORK, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (THE GUARDIAN) —The unequal impact of the climate crisis on the world’s poorest people, including those in tropical areas, has been highlighted by new research that finds they will be among the last to feel the benefits if global greenhouse gas emissions are cut to net zero.
Temperatures have risen more significantly in tropical areas relative to their historic range than at higher latitudes, including in wealthier countries in Europe and North America.
A team of Australian climate scientists found this inequality would not be reversed if global emissions reached net zero – the implicit goal of the landmark 2015 Paris agreement – and could take “many decades to begin to reverse” if carbon dioxide was drawn from the atmosphere under a “net-negative emissions” plan.
The research coincided with the UN’s refugee agency releasing a report showing how the climate crisis was increasing the risk of people becoming stateless.
The climate inequality study, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, was led by Dr Andrew King and colleagues at the University of Melbourne.
They looked at three sets of computer modelling experiments of the likely temperature changes if global emissions reached net zero and overlaid the results with countries’ gross domestic product.
“If we follow a path that is close to net zero, then the inequality we see in present day warming persists indefinitely,” King said.
“The wealthier countries that have caused more of the problem are not those that are the most exposed, even beyond net zero. The regions that have not caused the warming are those that experience the most warming.”
King said the fate of the planet’s poorest regions, which tend to be concentrated closer to the equator, would depend on how much greenhouse gas was emitted before the world reached net zero.
“Even when we get to net zero, we have still emitted an enormous amount of carbon into the atmosphere and its effects will continue for centuries. We can’t easily undo all that damage,” he said. “Getting to net zero sooner means we are less likely to have that long-term warming after net zero. We need to get to net zero sooner to limit that inequality.”
King said tropical ecosystems, such as some coral reefs, had mostly evolved to exist in a narrower temperature range than ecosystems at higher latitudes and would continue to be heavily affected for longer as the world cut emissions.
A separate report on the impact of climate change on the stateless, commissioned by the UN refugee agency and released with the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness, called on nations to support “the continuity of statehood” for countries facing extreme climate damage. It said those at risk included Pacific islands that were losing land to rising seas.
The agency estimated about 4.5 million people were stateless but said it accepted the number was probably much larger as stateless people were “invisible to official statistics”.
The report said the climate crisis risked creating more stateless people through displacement after climate-driven disasters such as fire, flood and sea level rise.
University of Melbourne Associate Prof Radha Govil, a report co-author, said there was a correlation between the regions most affected by climate change and statelessness.
The report recommended countries should be helped to digitise citizenship records, and steps should be taken to ensure children were afforded citizenship if they were left without parents after a disaster.
It said the risks to children were increased if mothers were not given the same rights as fathers to confer their own nationality to their children.
“The recommendations we have set out are absolutely doable,” said Govil. “They can stave of this risk of statelessness and get ahead of this problem.”….PACNEWS
PAC – DEFENCE MEET: FIJI SUN PACNEWS 2: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Fiji strengthens security push as Pacific Defence Chiefs meet
NADI, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (FIJI SUN)—Fiji is pushing for deeper regional defence integration and stronger cooperation among Pacific nations as the region faces increasingly complex security challenges.
Speaking at the opening of the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPADMM) in Nadi, Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs Pio Tikoduadua said collective action was critical to maintaining security and stability across the Blue Pacific.
The four-day meeting is being held under the theme: “Securing the Blue Pacific, Collective Responsibility, Resilient Futures.”
Tikoduadua said the theme reflected the realities facing Pacific countries as they navigate an evolving security landscape.
“The theme of this year’s meeting is particularly timely as we face a rapidly evolving security environment, where traditional, non-traditional and hybrid threats increasingly challenge the stability, resilience and prosperity of our Pacific nations,” he said.
He reaffirmed Fiji’s commitment to the regional forum, describing SPADMM as an important platform for advancing shared security objectives.
“Fiji remains a steadfast advocate of the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting.
“As a trusted and effective forum, SPADMM continues to foster meaningful cooperation and deliver practical outcomes that advance our shared defence and security objectives across the South Pacific.”
Tikoduadua said Fiji was strengthening its own security framework through a whole-of-nation approach while modernising the country’s security sector to better respond to emerging threats.
“We continue to reform and modernise our security sector to ensure it remains capable, responsive and prepared to address both current and emerging threats,” he said.
He highlighted the development of Fiji’s Maritime Security Strategy, which provides a whole-of-government framework to protect the nation’s maritime interests over the next decade.
The strategy, he said, would help safeguard Fiji’s sovereignty, natural resources and cultural heritage while building resilience against future security risks.
Tikoduadua also revealed that Fiji recently completed a brigade-level field training exercise designed to improve coordination and preparedness among government agencies during emergencies.
“As we continue to modernise our security forces, our defence capabilities must be fully integrated with national response agencies to ensure effective and coordinated action during crises and emergencies,” he said.
He stressed that closer collaboration among Pacific defence forces remained vital in responding to regional crises and security threats.
“Interoperability with our Pacific neighbours remains essential for enabling effective collective responses to crises and security challenges across our region,” he said.
Tikoduadua added that strong legal and policy frameworks were equally important to guide defence operations and ensure the protection of personnel.
He said Fiji would continue to champion stronger regional integration and cooperation through SPADMM as Pacific nations work together to build a safer and more resilient region…..PACNEWS
NZ – POLITICS: PMN PACNEWS 2: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Pacific visa access has become an election battleground as NZ First challenges Labour
WELLINGTON, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PMN)—Pacific visa access is becoming a key election issue with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters challenging Labour’s promise to expand visa-waiver travel for Pacific Islanders.
Peters says NZ First has already committed to easing visa access and has questioned Labour’s pledge, saying it lacks detail on how the policy would work.
“They say they’ll expand the visa waiver panel to Pacific Island citizens. Look at the press statement and tell me, where’s the policy? They’re going to want to know in the islands, yes, what does that mean?” Peters told Pacific Mornings.
Labour announced last week that it would expand visa-waiver access to citizens of Pacific Islands Forum countries, saying the change would make it easier and more affordable for Pacific families to visit loved ones in New Zealand.
Peters says NZ First wants the Immigration portfolio if it is part of the next coalition government, arguing this would give the party confidence its policies would be delivered.
That promise comes against a backdrop of concern about whether political parties understand Pacific communities.
The PMN-Horizon Research Pacific Issues Election Survey found 59percent of Pacific respondents said NZ First did not understand Pacific communities well.
“I’m confident we’ll get the sentiment across the line and policy across the line, but I’m saying at the same time, we want the portfolio,” Peters said. “That’s our only confidence that it’ll be done properly.”
The competing proposals come after NZ First announced a two-year clemency period for Pacific people who have overstayed their visas.
Under the policy, Pacific overstayers would have 24 months to apply to remain in New Zealand legally on a valid visa. NZ First says the policy would apply only to overstayers of Pacific origin.
Peters says he has also spoken with Pacific leaders who are concerned about the impact of making it easier to move to New Zealand.
“They’re very, very worried about depopulation,” he says. “So we’re going to have to handle this carefully so we don’t offend our Pacific neighbours.”
He says the approach should recognise the relationship between New Zealand and Pacific countries.
“Cousins can treat cousins fairly and cousins don’t rip each other off,” he says.
Dr Suliana Mone, from the University of Auckland Law School, says voters should look beyond campaign announcements and consider parties’ records.
“You kind of need to look at what promises have been made before by particular parties and then track the record of honouring those promises,” she told PMN.
Mone says coalition negotiations can also change what parties are ultimately able to deliver.
“Some policies might need to be narrowed, and some even completely traded off and put aside in order for particular political parties to form a coalition government.”
She says there is no legal mechanism to force a government to deliver an election promise.
“I think the legal mechanism we have, the accountability mechanism, is voting at the next election,” she says.
Mone says Pacific communities should continue engaging with politicians after the election and hold them to the commitments made during the campaign.
“We need to keep people in government accountable for the promises they make during election campaigns.”
The election is on 7 November with advance voting beginning on 26 October…..PACNEWS
PACNEWS BIZ
UN – ECONOMY: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Global economy expected to stabilise, but fiscal limits and rising costs threaten growth
NEW YORK, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)– The global economy is expected to stabilise over the next year, but rising living costs, geopolitical tensions, fiscal constraints and uncertainty around artificial intelligence investment could weigh on growth, according to a new World Economic Forum survey of chief economists.
The WEF Chief Economists’ Outlook finds 56 percent of economists surveyed expect the global economic outlook to remain stable or improve, a significant shift from May when 89 percent expected conditions to weaken.
However, confidence in a sustained recovery remains limited.
Nearly all respondents, 97 percent, identify geopolitical conflicts as a likely source of uncertainty over the next year, while 58 percent expect asset-price corrections.
Only one-quarter expect the global economy to become more resilient.
Attilio Di Battista, Head of Economic Growth and Transformation at the World Economic Forum, said governments would have less fiscal capacity to respond to future shocks.
“Chief Economists expect the global economy to stabilise, but uncertainty remains high with geopolitical volatility, potential asset-price corrections, greater scrutiny of AI investment and persistent cost-of-living pressures,” Di Battista said.
“Government support played a critical role in navigating successive crises, but fiscal capacity is likely to be more constrained going forward.”
The survey found fiscal support was the main source of global economic resilience since 2020, identified by 69 percent of economists.
However, only 28 percent expect fiscal support to play the same role over the next 12 months.
Economists instead expect resilience to increasingly depend on flexible supply chains, technological innovation and adaptation to energy-market changes.
The outlook remains positive on artificial intelligence, with 97 percent of respondents expecting AI adoption to increase over the next year and 69 percent expecting it to deliver significant productivity gains.
About 78 percent expect data-centre investment to contribute significantly to global economic growth.
However, 79 percent expect data-centre expansion to face significant opposition from local communities.
The survey also found 61 percent of economists do not expect data-centre investment to make a significant contribution to global job creation.
At the same time, 78 percent expect data-centre expansion to increase electricity prices, while 58 percent expect higher water prices.
The competition between the United States and China in AI is also expected to narrow, with 69 percent of respondents expecting Chinese large language models to catch up with US counterparts over the next year.
The survey points to greater economic fragmentation, with 77 percent of economists expecting geoeconomic fragmentation to increase over the next 12 months.
Fifty-five percent expect tariffs to increase in the United States, while 43 percent expect increases in Europe.
Despite this, two-thirds of respondents expect global trade volumes to increase, while 83 percent expect Chinese exports to markets outside the United States to rise.
The United States is expected to remain the most favourable business environment for multinational companies, followed by South-East Asia and Europe.
India ranks fourth, while China remains fifth.
Growth prospects have improved across most regions, but economists continue to see significant differences between economies.
India, South-East Asia, Central Asia and the United States receive the strongest growth assessments.
China’s outlook has weakened, with about one-third of respondents expecting weak growth.
Europe has improved modestly but remains the weakest-performing region in the survey, with 61 percent of economists expecting weak or very weak growth.
About one-third of respondents expect unemployment to rise in the United States, China and Europe.
Monetary policy is also expected to diverge, with 70 percent of economists anticipating tighter policy in Japan, 53 percent in the euro area and 42 percent in the United States.
In China, 49 percent expect monetary policy to become more accommodative.
Rising living costs are expected to continue putting pressure on households, with food identified by 88 percent of respondents, electricity by 83 percent and transport by 77 percent as areas where costs are expected to increase.
Most economists expect real incomes to stagnate or decline across most regions.
South-East Asia and India are the exceptions, with more than 60 percent of respondents expecting real incomes to increase.
Governments are expected to rely mainly on broad measures to address cost-of-living pressures.
Sixty percent of respondents expect tax reductions on essential goods, while 54 percent expect consumption subsidies and 50 percent expect price caps.
Only 36 percent expect governments to reduce taxes specifically for low-income households, while 26 percent anticipate targeted cash transfers.
The survey was conducted from 04 to 20 August 2026 and involved chief economists from the public and private sectors.
The findings were released during the World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Meetings 2026 in New York, which runs from 21 to 24 September…..PACNEWS
UN – RENEWABLE ENERGY: PACNEWS PACNEWS BIZ: Wed 23 Sep 2026
Global renewables must double pace to meet 2030 target, report says
NEW YORK, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (PACNEWS)—The world must significantly accelerate renewable energy deployment over the next five years to meet the global target of tripling renewable power capacity by 2030, according to a new international tracking report.
The report says 5.15 terawatts (TW) of renewable power capacity had been installed globally by the end of 2025, following a record 693 gigawatts (GW) added during the year.
However, reaching the agreed target of 11.2 TW by 2030 will require annual additions to increase to an average of 1,200 GW between 2026 and 2030.
This means the world must build more renewable power capacity during the next five years than in all previous years combined.
The report, Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking progress toward tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, was released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the COP31 Presidency Türkiye and the Global Renewables Alliance during Climate Week NYC.
It is the third assessment of progress towards the energy targets agreed under the UAE Consensus at COP28.
The report also found that global energy intensity improved by about two percent in 2025, well below the four percent annual improvement needed to meet the 2030 energy efficiency target.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said the rapid expansion of renewables showed that the clean energy transition was gaining momentum, but warned that major barriers still needed to be addressed.
“Renewable energy records are being smashed year after year as the clean energy revolution accelerates. But we must go further and faster to clear the bottlenecks that delay the transition, drive investment to developing countries, and break our addiction to volatile fossil fuels once and for all,” Guterres said.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said renewable energy could still close the gap to the 2030 target, but warned that energy efficiency, electricity demand and grid infrastructure remained major challenges.
“We need to move faster, electrify faster and build the systems to support it,” La Camera said.
He said this would require rapid expansion and modernisation of renewable generation, grids, storage and flexibility.
The report calls for nearly US$1 trillion in annual grid investment between 2026 and 2030, more than twice the level recorded in 2025.
It also calls for greater deployment of batteries, storage and flexible technologies, wider use of solar, wind and storage to provide reliable electricity, and greater use of digitalisation and artificial intelligence to manage electricity demand and clean energy supply.
COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum said electrification would be a central focus of the COP31 agenda in Antalya, Türkiye.
“This report shows a transition moving forward, but too unevenly,” Kurum said.
He said COP31 would promote a science-based goal of increasing electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035, with action needed across buildings, transport and industry.
Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy and President of Negotiations for COP31, Chris Bowen, said the report showed the need to accelerate investment in electrification.
“IRENA’s update shows that not enough progress is being made towards that goal – and that we need to accelerate our efforts and support investment in electrification, from modern grids and storage to clean, affordable and reliable electricity,” Bowen said.
Global Renewables Alliance Chair Ben Backwell said renewable energy was increasingly important to energy security and economic growth.
“Governments must change gear and make renewables a national economic priority today,” Backwell said.
The report says solar is emerging as a major driver of the global energy transition, with average annual solar capacity additions expected to double 2025 levels by 2030.
By 2030, variable renewable sources such as solar and wind are projected to account for about 62 percent of total installed power capacity, compared with 35 percent in 2025.
Battery storage is also expanding rapidly, with costs falling by 30 percent between 2024 and 2025 and by 95 percent since 2010.
The report says around-the-clock renewable power systems combining solar and storage are becoming more common, with such systems accounting for about one-quarter of utility-scale solar commissioned globally in 2025.
It also identifies electrification as a key tool for improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions as renewable electricity becomes more widely available.
The report says further acceleration beyond 2030 will be required to raise global electrification to 35 percent by 2035, a proposed benchmark being considered as part of the COP31 agenda……PACNEWS
PACNEWS In Focus
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Why climate action now comes down to speed, finance and cooperation
NEW YORK, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (UN NEWS CENTRE) —-Temporarily exceeding the 1.5°C global warming goal set in Paris is widely considered inevitable. The challenge now is to keep that overshoot as small and short as possible by cutting emissions faster, unlocking finance and strengthening international cooperation.
Just over a decade ago, the world was heading towards more than 4°C of warming over pre-industrial levels. Climate action since the Paris Agreement has lowered that trajectory to 2.3°C if current national commitments are fully delivered.
The United Nations has been at the centre of those efforts, pushing for stronger national plans, a faster transition to renewable energy and greater attention to adaptation, climate justice and the financing needs of developing countries.
But progress to limit warming has come as the climate itself continues to heat up. The past 11 years have been the hottest on record, with heat, drought, floods, storms and wildfires taking a growing toll on lives, economies and development.
And the world is still on course to exceed the 1.5°C threshold, at least temporarily.
Against that backdrop, the next phase of climate action is less about setting new promises than delivering on those already made, while pushing ambition much further.
What is a 1.5°C overshoot?
The 1.5°C limit refers to the average rise in global temperature above pre-industrial levels over decades. It is not determined by a single unusually hot year.
An overshoot means temperatures rise above that threshold for a period, reach a peak and, if emissions are cut deeply enough, eventually begin to fall again.
But that decline is not guaranteed, it will depend on the choices governments make now and in the years ahead.
Even if current national climate plans and additional net-zero pledges are fully implemented, warming could still peak at around 1.8°C, according to a recent UN Environment Programme report.
That difference may sound small, but it matters. The higher temperatures climb, and the longer they stay there, the greater the risks.
“Every fraction of a degree will cost lives, destroy livelihoods, deepen inequality, and push ecosystems closer to irreversible damage,” Secretary General António Guterres has warned.
Why does speed matter?
The pace of action matters because the gap between current plans and what the science requires remains very large.
Countries responsible for nearly 90percent of global emissions have submitted updated national climate plans, known as NDCs. But even if those plans are fully implement, they are expected to reduce emissions by only around 10percent by 2035.
To keep the 1.5°C goal within reach, emissions would need to fall by roughly 60percent over the same period.
Closing that gap means faster cuts in emissions, particularly methane and other short lived climate pollutants, while halting deforestation and accelerating the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Countries also need the infrastructure to support that shift, including modern electricity grids, more storage and greater use of clean electricity in transport, heating and industry.
Moving faster can also strengthen energy security. Three out of four people live in countries that import more fossil fuels than they export, leaving them vulnerable when conflict or other disruptions affect global supplies and prices. Renewable energy can reduce that dependence.
As Guterres has put it, “there are no embargoes on sunshine and no price spikes for wind.”
Why is finance so important?
Not all countries have the same resources to make the shift to clean energy.
Developing countries often face much higher borrowing costs for renewable energy projects, making investment in clean power, grids and storage harder even where the potential is enormous.
The UN has repeatedly called for cheaper finance, reforms to multilateral development banks and greater private investment in developing countries.
Finance also shapes who benefits from the transition. A just transition should help workers and communities adapt to economic change, create decent jobs and give developing countries a larger role in the growing clean-energy economy.
That includes the minerals needed for batteries and other technologies: Producing countries should be able to capture more value from those resources rather than simply exporting raw materials.
Stormy waves crash against a crumbling shoreline in Odessa, Ukraine, causing houses built on weak soil to collapse into the sea.
Why does adaptation matter ?
Cutting emissions is essential to limit future warming, but it cannot erase the climate impacts that people are already experiencing today.
The recent floods and landslides in Nepal and China have again shown how exposed communities and infrastructure are to extreme weather. A strong El Niño expected to persist into early 2027 could add to those risks in several regions, including the Greater Horn of Africa and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.
This is why adaptation is so important. In practice, it means helping people and countries cope with the effects of climate change that can no longer be avoided.
In practice, this can include building stronger roads, homes and public services; supporting more resilient agriculture and ecosystems; improving water management; and expanding early-warning systems so communities have more time to prepare for floods, droughts, storms and heatwaves.
Adaptation also needs more funding, especially for the countries and communities most vulnerable to climate impacts and already dealing with climate-related loss and damage
Why do we need cooperation?
No country can tackle climate change entirely on its own.
Governments set their own climate policies, but many of the systems needed to make them work cross borders, from energy markets and finance to technology and supply chains. Greenhouse gas emissions do not stop at national borders either.
Cooperation can help countries speed up the renewable energy transition, strengthen resilience and make finance easier to access.
That does not mean everyone has to move at the same pace. Some have more resources and capacity, while others face much higher financial or technological barriers.
The challenge is to help more countries overcome those barriers and move faster, even as geopolitical tensions currently make international cooperation harder.
Road to the General Assembly
Those priorities are at the centre of the Secretary General’s Climate Summit on 23 September at UN Headquarters. Its objectives can be summed up in three phrases: accelerate the transition, unlock finance and protect people.
The meeting will bring together governments, development banks, business, finance and civil society to focus on practical barriers to implementation.
Also, as part of the Summit, Solutions Dialogues will take place during the week, focusing on practical ways to accelerate action on energy, oceans, adaptation, methane, finance, information integrity and green industrialization.
The focus is on turning existing commitments into action and on what can be done together to accelerate delivery….PACNEWS
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Strengthening Pacific sexual and reproductive health through regional collaboration
NUKU’ALOFA, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPC)—-The 16th Biennial Scientific Conference of the Pacific Society for Reproductive Health (PSRH), held in Tonga from 12–18 September 2026, brought together clinicians, midwives, nurses, researchers, health leaders and regional partners from 12 Pacific Island countries and territories to exchange knowledge and identify practical solutions to strengthen sexual and reproductive health across the region.
The conference theme,”Fakakaukau ki he kaha’u — Building and Sustaining Our Health Workforce,” reflected a strong regional commitment to developing, supporting and retaining the health workforce needed to meet the evolving needs of Pacific communities.
Workforce development emerged as a central theme throughout the meeting. Delegates discussed ongoing challenges including workforce shortages, migration and increasing pressure on small health teams, alongside the need for stronger leadership, mentorship and professional development. There was also a notable focus on creating systems that allow health workers to continue learning and supporting one another beyond a conference or workshop. Regional networking and sustained collaboration were identified as critical mechanisms for supporting health workers and improving long-term service delivery.
The conference reinforced the importance of country ownership and national support for programmes to be sustainable. Ministries of Health and national services need to be engaged early enough for successful work to become embedded in existing systems, rather than remain as stand-alone projects. This was particularly evident in discussions on cervical cancer elimination, where country-led priorities, stronger referral pathways and better alignment of partner assistance remain key areas for progress.
Cervical cancer elimination was among the most encouraging areas of discussion. Delegates shared updates on HPV vaccination, screening and screen-and-treat approaches, reflecting real progress towards the WHO 90–70–90 targets. Participants emphasised, however, that the true measure of success is whether women who enter a screening programme can continue through to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care without being lost along the way.
The conference also reaffirmed that regional priorities extend beyond any single programme. HIV was raised as a growing concern across parts of the Pacific, alongside continuing challenges in maternal and newborn health, family planning, gender-based violence and adolescent health.
Regional leaders underscored the importance of continued investment in women’s health. Dr Saia Piukala, Regional Director of the World Health Organisation Western Pacific Region, reminded participants that investing in sexual and reproductive health is “an investment in the future of every family, every community and every nation.”
Reflecting on the Tongan saying”Ko e ta’u e fonua ki he fanau,” he noted that the future of Pacific nations rests with their children, and that the health and well-being of women, mothers, newborns, adolescents and young people must remain among the region’s highest priorities.
Newly elected PSRH President Dr Amanda Noovao Hill highlighted the strength of expertise that already exists across the Pacific, saying, “What has come through very strongly this week is the depth of knowledge, experience and commitment already within our Pacific countries. Our role as PSRH is to keep those connections active, listen to our members and communities, and help countries share what is working.”
One of the most positive outcomes of the conference was the continued growth of regional networks around PSRH. Connections built through conferences, training and collaborative projects are increasingly becoming platforms for mentorship, quality improvement and shared problem-solving between countries.
Looking ahead, participants emphasised the importance of country ownership, stronger integration of programmes into national health systems and continued regional partnerships to translate evidence into sustainable improvements in care. The Tonga meeting demonstrated that Pacific countries are strongest when they work together, learn from one another and build lasting relationships that support collective action beyond the conference itself….PACNEWS
For more information about PSRH, including its activities, membership and upcoming initiatives, visit psrh.org.nz.
The Pacific Community (SPC), through funding support from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), supported participation in the PSRH conference, helping to strengthen regional collaboration and advance women’s, maternal, newborn and reproductive health across the Pacific.
PACNEWS DIGEST
The views expressed in PACNEWS are those of agencies contributing articles and do not necessarily those of PINA and/or PACNEWS
Vanuatu stakeholders endorse new micro-qualifications to strengthen adolescent health and wellbeing leadership
PORT VILA, 23 SEPTEMBER 2026 (SPC)—“I would like to see young people become more confident, better informed and better supported as they navigate the challenges of adolescence.”
This was highlighted by Adlyn Wesly, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Competency Standards and Qualifications Division at the Vanuatu Qualifications Authority (VQA), and reflects the vision behind two new Micro-Qualifications endorsed recently to strengthen adolescent health and wellbeing leadership in Vanuatu.
Stakeholders from government, education and training institutions, civil society organisations, traditional institutions and regional partners endorsed the qualifications following months of collaboration involving the Industry Advisory Committee (IAC), technical experts, VQA, the Pacific Community (SPC) and national stakeholders.
The two endorsed Micro-Qualifications are:
*Design a Holistic Approach to Support Adolescent Health and Wellbeing
*Lead Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Strategies in a National Context
The qualifications are the first of their kind in the Pacific region, offering an innovative and quality-assured approach to building leadership, knowledge and practical skills in adolescent health and wellbeing.
Speaking on the significance of the endorsement, Wesly said the achievement demonstrates the value of developing specialised learning opportunities that respond directly to local needs while maintaining high standards and relevance.
George Pitakoe, Youth and Sports Development Officer at the Micronesia Spearhead Group Secretariat, said the new micro-credentials will equip young people, church workers and community practitioners with the practical skills needed to address adolescent health challenges and strengthen partnerships that improve health outcomes.
He also welcomed the recognition of Pacific values within the qualifications, noting that culture and faith remain central to shaping positive attitudes, behaviours and community wellbeing across the region.
Crimson Bani of the Malvatumauri Secretariat commended the extensive work undertaken to develop the two frameworks, describing them as an important investment in the future of Vanuatu’s traditional leadership. He noted that the qualifications would equip emerging traditional leaders with the knowledge, skills and foresight needed to engage meaningfully with issues of human rights, gender equality and social inclusion.
Bani emphasised that strengthening leaders’ understanding of these issues would help create spaces where the voices of women and girls are heard, respected and reflected in community decision-making, contributing to a more inclusive and equitable future for Vanuatu.
The initiative was supported by SPC through the Human Rights and Social Division Pacific Girl Project and the Education Quality Assessment Programme (EQAP), working closely with national stakeholders to ensure the qualifications meet both national and regional priorities…..PACNEWS
