Pacific prepares to defend 1.5°C as world turns to implementation
AS more than 80,000 delegates gather in Antalya, Türkiye, the Pacific is entering another critical round of climate negotiations with
Climate Change
Pacific women are already doing the work. COP31 must back them
THE ocean is not a backdrop to Pacific life.It is the source of it. As the Tongan-Fijian writer Epeli Hau’ofa wrote, the sea is
Pacific calls for fossil fuel phase-out
PACIFIC climate priorities include an immediate phase-out of coal, oil and gas, alongside stronger accountability from major
A prelude to real change or more of the same?
BEFORE the start of every new Super Rugby Season, there is always a round of pre-season games. These matches often serve as a warm-up
PACNEWS ONE, 29 OCTOBER 2026
In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — GCF approves US$250m grant for climate resilience in 14 Pacific countries2. FIJI — Fiji secures US$35.2m GCF grant to protect Great Sea Reef3. PACIFIC — Fiji hosts
Korea appoints new ambassador to Samoa
THE Republic of Korea has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening ties with Samoa, as its new ambassador presented his credentials
Tuvalu calls for greater regional disaster financing support, warns insurance payouts fail to cover losses
TUVALU Prime Minister Feleti Teo called for more investment in Pacific regional disaster-financing institutions and changes to
Unity must lead to action on climate change
THE Taku Pakasoa Declaration reflects strength in unity and collective action. The declaration brought together voices from around
Pacific nations’ loss-and-damage proposals point to demand for grants, relocation support
PACIFIC island countries are seeking funding for cash transfers, relocation and the protection of cultural heritage and biodiversity
PNG commits $7.95m over five years to Tuvalu
PAPUA New Guinea has pledged PGK25 million (about AUD7.95 million) to support Tuvalu’s land reclamation efforts over the next five
Tuvalu urges global unity on climate crisis
TUVALU has called on the international community to unite behind countries on the frontline of climate change, following the adoption
The proof problem of Pacific climate
THERE is a weather station on Tofua, an active volcanic island in Tonga’s Ha’apai group, and getting there is a small expedition. You take a boat. Then you take another boat, and sometimes you wait days for the
Climate Change: The existential threat to the Pacific Islands
NO region is more under threat from climate change than the Pacific. Policy changes are certainly needed but governments of the
UN Climate chief links clean power to jobs, security and stability
FASTER energy transitions are core to national security strategies, and renewables are central to economic security, peace and stability, says United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell.
Pacific strengthens united climate agenda as COP31 countdown begins
PACIFIC climate ministers have reinforced a united regional agenda ahead of COP31, pledging to strengthen the region's negotiating influence as global geopolitical uncertainty threatens progress on climate
USP research targets climate-resilient taro farming for Pacific
A UNIVERSITY of the South Pacific (USP) researcher is developing new tools to help Pacific farmers strengthen taro production as climate change and declining soil health threaten one of the region's most important
Vanuatu launches new biodiversity strategy to tackle invasive species
VANUATU is ramping up efforts under a new biodiversity strategy that prioritises the control of invasive species and the reinforcement of community-led resource management.
Tahiti’s nuclear shadow: Health costs that never ended
BY the time the nuclear tests stopped in 1996, the Pacific had already carried the burden for three decades.
Afflict the Comfortable
“IN all life, one should comfort the afflicted, but verily, also, one should afflict the comfortable, and especially when they are comfortably, contentedly, even happily wrong.” — John Kenneth
Our sovereignty will not sink with the seas, Tuvalu declares
TUVALU’S Governor-General, Reverend Sir Tofiga Vaevalu Falani, has called for urgent global action on climate mobility, warning that the Pacific nation’s future cannot be separated from the rights, identity and
Pacific leaders urged to protect oceans amid climate and biodiversity crises
PACIFIC governments are being urged to strengthen ocean protection and stewardship amid growing pressure from climate change, biodiversity loss, and marine pollution.
PNG tourism authority criticises Green Fee, warns it could hurt visitor arrivals
PAPUA New Guinea’s tourism authority has rejected the country’s new Green Fee on international travelers, saying it was introduced without consultation and risks weakening a sector still trying to recover and grow.
Fiji presses donors for simpler, faster climate finance
FIJI has called for faster, simpler and more flexible climate finance for small island states, warning at the Global Environment Facility Assembly that the world is moving too slowly as climate risks
