Listening, hearing and acting on climate
On her first visit to Suva in May 2022, newly elected Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong pledged close cooperation with Pacific Island nations on climate policy. “We will listen,” she said. “We will hear
COP28
Emerging leaders take concerns to Canberra
Ongoing issues of overpopulation, economic inequality, domestic violence, climate change, geopolitics, illiteracy, and many health challenges are worrying to many Pacific Islanders. For young emerging leaders from the
A New Era of Island Leadership: Samoa is AOSIS Chair
Samoa will now lead the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) as Chair. The announcement was made at a special Plenary meeting on Monday featuring the official handover from the outgoing Chair, Antigua and Barbuda.
New Zealand hit by flash floods, landslides and death toll rises to four
Heavy rainfall hit New Zealand’s north island again on Sunday, causing landslides, flash floods and knocking out roads, with the death toll rising to four after a person who had been missing was confirmed dead.
PNG building becomes first in Pacific to achieve EDGE certification
A landmark building in Papua New Guinea’s capital has undergone an environmentally-friendly retrofit that has seen the property become the first real estate project in the South Pacific to be accredited under one of
COP15: Historic deal to protect a third of the world’s biodiversity
Negotiators reached a landmark agreement Monday at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) to protect 30 percent of the planet’s lands, coastal areas and inland waters by 2030. The Kunming-Montreal Global
Punching above its weight, Pacific pushes for ship polluters to pay
Punching above our weight has been the statement echoed in London this week to describe the tiny Pacific’s bold push against some of the global heavyweights to have polluters (ship) pay-up for their pollution. This
RESILIENCE & WATER SECURITY IN THE BLUE PACIFIC CONTINENT
As the delegates of the 2022 Pacific Water and Wastewater Association return to their home nations, it is time to reflect on a way forward for water in the region. Drinking water is on its way to being well catered for,
OACPS to support Vanuatu draft resolution on climate justice
The 76 member states of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) have indicated that it will support Vanuatu’s climate campaign to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of
Less prayer, more presence
It’s not every day that a young Pacific islander tells regional church leaders to stop praying about climate change and take firm, practical measures which people can see. Fresh off the flight from COP27 in Egypt,
A tick for loss and damage
The disconnect between countries was palpable at the recent COP27 climate conference, as small island nations fought with developing countries to get their issues onto the agenda and into negotiations. Addressing the
Tuvalu’s Paeniu lauds recognition of loss and damage at COP27
Tuvalu’s Minister of Finance Seve Paeniu has praised the decision by the UN climate summit in Egypt, known as COP27, to formally recognise loss and damage from climate change. The move opens the way for more
COP27 closes with deal on loss and damage
After days of intense negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh, countries at the latest UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, reached agreement on an outcome that established a funding mechanism to compensate vulnerable nations
Nauru laments failure from “those with real power”
Nauru, one of the Pacific countries at the forefront of the climate crisis, has lamented the failure of what they describe as “people with real power” to avert the climate crisis. Speaking during the resumed
U.S. urges Pacific islands to set example on methane emissions
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry urged Pacific island states last week to join global efforts to cut methane emissions in hopes it would sway major emitters China and India to follow suit. Speaking at the UN’s COP27
Oceans yet to make it to formal climate talks agenda
Fiji and other Pacific Small Island Developing Countries (PSIDS) continued their push to include oceans on the agenda of the global climate talks in Sharm El Sheikh this week despite very little movement on the issue in
Tuvalu to protect maritime boundaries despite rising seas
In another first for the world, the island nation of Tuvalu has embarked on a national contingency plan to preserve and protect its statehood and sovereignty, in the event it becomes uninhabitable by 2050. It’s not
Early gains for gender and climate change text at COP27
After a week of technical negotiations on the draft climate and gender text, the Pacific lead on gender and climate change, Eunice Dus is quietly optimistic of the gains made here in Sharm El Sheikh to push for language
COP27: Biden’s new initiatives, PNG signs carbon deal
America has reassured Pacific and world leaders who are fighting for a 1.5 to Stay Alive outcome at COP27 in Egypt, of its commitment and renewed leadership to avert “climate hell.” President, Joe Biden, highlighted
Resilience and Water Security for the Blue Pacific Continent
As the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association annual conference approaches once again, we reflect on water as one of the most critical issues surrounding climate change in the Blue Pacific Continent. A secure future
‘Action begins now before it’s too late’: President Maamau
Kiribati has called on the 27th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC COP) to be more ambitious about the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Speaking to world
COP27: Tuvalu leads call to phase out fossil fuels
Tuvalu has become the first country to use United Nations climate talks to demand an international fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, which would phase out the use of coal, oil, and gas. The small Pacific island
Loss and damage on the climate agenda
The question of whether ‘loss and damage’ should lead to compensation and acceptance of liability is causing ruptures at the COP27 climate talks in Egypt. Loss and damage is the irreversible economic and