Climate Change

Pacific leaders call out Indonesia at UN over West Papua

Vanuatu's prime minister Charlot Salwai, a longtime supporter of West Papuan self-determination, told the General Assembly in New York that decolonisation must remain on the UN agenda.

He said the Human Rights Council must investigate human rights abuses in the Indonesian provinces.

The Marshall Islands president, Hilda Heine, told the assembly's 73rd session that the Pacific Islands Forum supported "constructive engagement" with Indonesia on the issue.

While Tuvalu's prime minister Enele Sopoaga continued his call for recognition of the indigenous people.

PM announces increase in climate change funding for Pacific

Ms Ardern is pledging $300 million in climate-related assistance over four years, an increase of $100 million.

The prime minister made the announcement in New York where she is attending for the United Nations General Assembly this week along with about 140 other world leaders.

Action on climate change is high on her agenda.

In a speech to the Climate Week conference she said climate change posed a security threat to vulnerable nations including New Zealand's Pacific neighbours.

Ms Ardern said it challenged international legal frameworks.

NCDs, climate change, security effects on Pacific private sector discussed

The meeting discussed actions the private sector needs to take in the Pacific region to challenge climate change, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) and other relevant issues. 

The preparatory meeting is held annually ahead of the annual Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting, where Pacific Island leaders consider the recommendations from the preparatory meeting. This year, the Pacific Island Forum Leaders meeting will be held in Nauru on September 4.

Push for united coalition in climate fight

Addressing Pacific leaders at the Climate Action Pacific Partnership Conference talanoa session at the Great Council of Chiefs Complex in Fiji’s capital, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations executive director Emele Duituturaga said leaders and stakeholders need to stand united against the world’s big carbon emitters.

 “We need to agree on key messages; identify our respective target audiences and develop inside/outside strategies,” she said.

Nauru in talks on how to strengthen Pacific’s resilience to impacts of climate change

Nauru President and Chair of the Pacific Small Island Developing States, Baron Waqa said the intention is to provide Pacific SIDS with a high level political platform to share with new and traditional partners their specific needs for taking climate action.  

President Waqa made the comments at the 2nd Climate Action Pacific Partnership meeting in Suva, Fiji on Thursday.

Speaking to more than 200 delegates from the Pacific and around the world, Waqa highlighted some of the challenges faced by PSIDS.

Push for Pacific coalition on climate displacement

And the coalition should not only include Pacific island governments but civil societies and the private sector.

Commending island leaders for their efforts on the issue, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO) executive director Emele Duituturaga told the conference in Funafuti, Tuvalu, that it affects everyone in the Pacific and required a concerted effort by all.

Push to embed climate change prep in Pacific

SPREP'S climate change adaptation advisor said training being held this week in Fiji aimed to improve planning and decision making to boost resilience.

Filomena Nelson said skills such as cost benefit analysis were being taught so that limited resources can be spent wisely and with a long term view in mind.

"Adaptation has to be done as part of development planning as well.

Anote Tong says cutting emissions won't save Kiribati

Mr Tong is visiting New Zealand to promote a film called Anote's Ark which portrays the frightening climate change reality that his people face.

He said even if the most ambitious targets for reducing global carbon emissions are met Kiribati and other islands like Tuvalu and Tokelau could still be swamped by the sea.

Is greed drowning out our people’s cry?

This was the question posed during the recent meeting of the Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania (Australia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, New Zealand, CEPAC – the rest of the Pacific).

An urgent ethical challenge facing the worldwide human family today concerns economic development dependent upon fossil fuel based energy, especially coal.

Paris summit delivers bold climate change commitments

The one day talks are aimed at leading business towards renewables and away from a carbon economy.

With more than a touch of showbiz panache, and among the shaking of hands and platitudes, the commitments started coming through.

The World Bank announced it would stop funding oil and gas exploration and extraction by 2019.

This drew a perfect smile from Sir Richard Branson, but there was more to come.