Search Climate Insights Directory

Between 2020 and 2024, climate change increased the number of 'pregnancy heat-risk days'—days exceeding the 95th percentile of local temperatures—in every analyzed country. In 90% of countries and 63% of cities, these risk days at least doubled compared to a world without climate change. The most significant increases occurred in developing regions, particularly the Caribbean, where 15 countries saw an average of at least 60 additional risk days annually, representing roughly one-fifth of a typical pregnancy. Beyond heat, the report notes that climate-driven air pollution, flooding, and infrastructure damage further threaten maternal health and birth outcomes.

The Regional Tuna Programme (RTP) addresses two primary climate threats in the Pacific: the loss of coral reef fish as a protein source and the eastward shift of tuna biomass away from national exclusive economic zones (EEZs). The programme will deploy 333 anchored Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) to help coastal communities catch tuna, improve the distribution of industrial tuna bycatch to urban areas, and develop an Advanced Warning System (AWS) to provide high-resolution forecasts of tuna redistribution. This AWS is intended to serve as an economic planning tool to help tuna-dependent nations negotiate the retention of fishing license revenues. The project targets 790,000 direct beneficiaries and 2.5 million indirect beneficiaries across 14 participating countries.

The Gender Action Plan (GAP) for the "Adapting Tuna-dependent Pacific Island Communities and Economies to Climate Change" programme aims to ensure women and men benefit equitably from climate adaptation efforts in 14 Pacific Island Countries. The plan focuses on increasing women's capacity in post-harvest tuna processing and marketing, raising awareness of gender roles in coastal fisheries, and enhancing women's leadership in decision-making. Key activities include gender-responsive training for FAD fishers, improving hygienic working conditions for fish sellers, and integrating gender considerations into national disaster response and high-level negotiation training. The programme is managed by the Pacific Community (SPC) and Conservation International (CI), with dedicated Gender & Environmental and Social Safeguards (GESI) officers overseeing implementation and monitoring through sex-disaggregated data.

The report assesses gender dynamics in the Pacific fisheries sector, noting that while fishing is viewed as a male domain, women play critical but often invisible roles in post-harvest processing and marketing. It identifies risks such as the potential for FAD investments to overlook women's needs and the high prevalence of gender-based violence in the region. The document proposes regional objectives to increase recognition of women's roles, improve working conditions for fish sellers, and provide training in tuna processing. It includes detailed gender profiles for participating nations, highlighting specific bottlenecks like limited women's representation in decision-making and the impact of climate change on coastal resources.

The fact sheet asserts that fossil fuels exacerbate and sustain global conflicts, with an estimated 25-50% of interstate wars since 1973 linked to oil. It argues that the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty can serve as a 'climate tool for peace' by managing a fast, funded, and fair transition away from fossil fuels, complementing the Paris Agreement by focusing on the supply side rather than just emissions. The document outlines the systemic impacts of extractivism—including gendered violence, human rights violations, and the militarization of extraction sites—and calls for governments to join a growing bloc of champion countries, including Vanuatu and Tuvalu, to negotiate the treaty.

The document argues that greenhouse gas emissions constitute pollution under UNCLOS, thereby obligating State Parties to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's temperature goals. It examines the request for an advisory opinion by the Commission of Small Island States (COSIS) to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), asserting that the duty of due diligence must be informed by the best available science to prevent ocean warming, acidification, and sea level rise.

The briefing proposes a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty based on three pillars: preventing new exploration licenses, phasing out existing production equitably, and ensuring a just transition for workers and dependent communities. It outlines a strategy for 'precursor countries' to drive international cooperation, suggests specific diplomatic actions for national governments, and provides a menu of domestic policy options to reduce fossil fuel dependency.

The briefing asserts that current climate frameworks, including the Paris Agreement, are insufficient because they focus on emissions (demand) rather than production (supply). It proposes a new legal instrument—a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty—to prevent the proliferation of fossil fuels, manage a fair phase-out where wealthy nations transition fastest, and ensure a global just transition for workers and communities. The document outlines building blocks for this cooperation, such as the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) and a Global Registry of Fossil Fuels, and calls for governments to support the initiative and an ICJ Advisory opinion on climate change.

The briefing asserts that current global production plans for fossil fuels will lead to emissions more than double what is compatible with the 1.5 °C target. It argues that while the Paris Agreement focuses on emissions, a new international legal instrument is needed to specifically target the supply side by ending new exploration and managing the equitable decline of existing production. The proposed treaty framework emphasizes a 'just transition' where wealthy nations transition fastest and provide financial and technological support to poorer, dependent nations. The document suggests a path toward this treaty through new country coalitions, such as the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), increased transparency via the Global Fossil Fuel Registry, and the potential creation of a Global Commission on Fossil Fuels.

The briefing advocates for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to address the climate crisis by targeting the supply side of fossil fuels. It argues that existing frameworks like the Paris Agreement are insufficient because they focus on emissions rather than production. The proposed treaty would focus on three pillars: non-proliferation of new fuels, an equitable phase-out of existing production, and a global just transition. The document outlines necessary international cooperation, including new coalitions like the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) and tools like the Global Fossil Fuel Register, while drawing parallels to successful treaties on nuclear weapons and landmines.

The document presents a manifesto of principles from a September 2021 international symposium, arguing that effective communication is essential for addressing social issues such as climate change, poverty, and human rights. It advocates for a holistic approach to digital technology that prioritizes dignity and justice, establishing a framework of entitlements for all people, including equitable access to infrastructure, privacy, media literacy, and sustainable power sources.

The programme addresses the dual threat of coral reef degradation, which reduces local food security, and the eastward migration of tuna stocks, which threatens the government revenues of tuna-dependent Pacific Island nations. It proposes two main components: scaling up National Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) programmes to help coastal communities transition from reef fishing to tuna fishing, and developing an 'advance warning system' (AWS) using genetic population analysis and modelling to predict tuna redistribution. This AWS is intended to empower nations to negotiate for the retention of historical fishing rights in international waters. The total indicative cost is USD 120,945,000, with USD 70,245,000 requested from the Green Climate Fund.

The document examines the existential threats faced by small island developing states (SIDS), highlighting their extreme vulnerability to sea-level rise and economic shocks despite contributing less than 1% of global carbon emissions. It advocates for a transition from seeing themselves as 'small islands' to 'large ocean states' by leveraging their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) through the 'blue economy.' The brief emphasizes the need for innovative financing, such as blue bonds and debt-for-climate swaps, and the urgent transition to domestic renewable energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.

The proposal seeks USD 47.4 million to upgrade National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) from WMO Category 1 to Category 2 across five Pacific island nations. The programme focuses on strengthening observation networks, establishing ocean information services, improving community preparedness through 'last-mile' communication, and introducing Forecast-based Financing (FbF).

The report describes a complex media environment in the Pacific Small Island Developing States, where traditional radio remains vital for reaching remote areas, but mobile phone and ICT penetration is rapidly increasing. It identifies significant barriers to communication, including geographic isolation, infrastructure instability, and gender disparities. To address these, the report proposes that WACC focus on network development through the Pacific Conference of Churches, support youth-led 'artivism', and follow up on Global Media Monitoring Project findings, specifically linking communications to regional priorities like climate change.

The proposal seeks USD 10 million in GCF grants to improve the capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in 14 Pacific Island Countries. The project focuses on four components: improving governance and enabling environments, strengthening air and marine navigation services, enhancing climate prediction tools (specifically the PICASO software), and project governance. It aims to address critical gaps in human and technological resources, lack of user feedback on forecasts, and insufficient observation sites, aligning with the Pacific Islands Meteorological Strategy 2017-2026.

The paper examines climate finance for 15 Pacific Island states from 2010 to 2014, finding that 748 million USD was committed, primarily as grants and project-based support. Adaptation received the largest share of funding (59%), with bilateral channels providing 72% of the total. While the Global Environment Facility was the dominant multilateral source through 2014, the Green Climate Fund and Pilot Program for Climate Resilience have provided significant allocations since 2015.

Between 2010 and 2014, US$748 million in climate finance primarily targeting climate change was committed to 15 Pacific SIDS, predominantly as grants. The funding was split between adaptation (59%) and mitigation (36%), with 72% sourced through bilateral channels, led by Australia. The vast majority of support (86%) was project-based, with a heavy concentration in creating 'enabling environments' and renewable energy. The analysis notes that Polynesian countries were more successful in attracting diverse funding than Micronesian countries, and highlights significant differences in flexibility and transaction costs between bilateral and multilateral funding sources.

Between 2010 and 2014, US$748 million in climate finance was committed to 15 Pacific SIDS, primarily as grants and delivered through bilateral channels. Adaptation received 59% of this funding, while 36% went to mitigation. The majority of support (86%) was project-based, with a strong focus on creating an 'enabling environment' for climate policy and planning.

Between 2010 and 2014, Niue received US$7.4 million in grant-equivalent finance specifically targeting climate change, with the Global Environment Facility and Australia as the primary contributors. Mitigation activities received the largest share of this funding (56.7%), while an additional US$20.9 million in ODA provided climate co-benefits.