The Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with Mayer Brown assist the reform of national energy laws with a new online tool
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Fighting the climate crisis through energy law reform
Main page for this area of work
The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has called for developed countries to finally honour the decade-long pledge to make $100 billion available each year to fight climate change in developing countries.
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Climate finance a “fundamental issue of trust”: Commonwealth Secretary-General
Days before the global COP26 climate talks began in Glasgow, HRH The Prince of Wales met with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC for a high-level discussion at Clarence House, to call attention to the crucial importance of sustainable urbanisation in tackling climate change.
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HRH The Prince of Wales and Commonwealth Secretary-General discuss critical role of sustainable cities ahead of COP26
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has called for all countries to deliver an ambitious and transformative outcome at the imminent UN Climate Change Conference COP26, while appealing for increased support for the smallest and most vulnerable nations.
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Commonwealth chief calls for "highest possible ambition" at COP26
As the countdown to COP26 continues, young environmental activists and innovators, academics, experts, and government officials joined a series of regional dialogues to help set the youth agenda at the conference.
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Commonwealth Youth gearing up to lead COP26 talks
Blog by Samuel Ogallah, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser to Eswatini
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An ambitious, stakeholder driven climate change commitment ahead of COP26: Eswatini’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution process
Emerging Commonwealth scientists win big in ocean innovation contest
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Emerging Commonwealth scientists win in ocean innovation contest
In the third blog in a series of interviews with young climate leaders, we meet Mogesh Sababathy, a marine activist from Malaysia. He is also an example of how young people across the world can work with education institutions, businesses and governments to amplify their voices on environmental issues that affect all of us.
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Blog: How to engage young people to protect their ocean in Malaysia and beyond
As part of our youth climate blog series ahead of COP26, meet Kushaal Raj, Acting Manager for Climate Change and the Ocean Specialist for the Ministry of Economy, Government of Fiji, where he develops ocean policy and provides technical expertise for international negotiations on ocean-related climate challenges.
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Blog: Meet the young climate official championing Fiji’s oceans
The following blog is based on a speech the author presented to the UK-Pacific High Level Dialogue on Climate Change in July 2021, which has been adapted and updated for this website.
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Inaction at COP26 to cost lives and livelihoods
<em>A blog by Christine Awiti, Economic Advisor, Commonwealth Secretariat</em>
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Two challenges, One solution: Debt for Climate Swaps, an Innovative Financing Instrument Resolving a Dual Threat
After an unprecedented pan-Commonwealth search for innovative satellite-driven solutions to tackle the challenges of the climate emergency and ocean sustainability, the Satellite Applications Catapult and the Commonwealth Secretariat are delighted to announce the inaugural finalists of the Hack the Planet competition 2021.
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Hack the Planet Competition 2021 finalists offer innovative climate and ocean solutions
This week, Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, will push for bold and swift action in supporting small and vulnerable states to fight the global interlinked crises of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and their resulting economic fallout.
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Commonwealth Secretary-General to attend UNCTAD15 Conference in Barbados to urge for rapid action against multiple global crises
More than 2,000 young leaders and youth-led organisations from across the Commonwealth are urging governments to respect the needs and contributions of the world’s most vulnerable groups, in the lead up to global climate talks in Glasgow in November.
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Young people urge leaders to protect most vulnerable against climate change
This blog about young scientist and 'plastic warrior' Kristal Ambrose is the first in a series launched during Youth4Climate and continuing in the lead up to COP26 and beyond, featuring young people from across the Commonwealth who are leading the way on local climate action.
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Blog: How one young scientist is tackling plastic pollution in The Bahamas
Sepesa Curuki and his community are coming to terms with the prospect of relocation from Cogea village on Fiji’s second-largest island of Vanua Levu. Their village, which lies between two rivers that flow into the Pacific Ocean only 2km away, has been battered by intense and frequent cyclones, flooding and erosion, threatening their very existence.
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How satellite technologies can aid Fiji and the Pacific to build climate resilience
Foreign Affairs Ministers from across the Commonwealth met yesterday for the 21st annual Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers Meeting (CFAMM). The meeting was held virtually for the second year in a row due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers meet to discuss COVID19, vaccines and climate change
IPS spoke to Commonwealth Secretary-General the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC about the Association’s climate initiatives, the unique challenges faced by small states, its focus on gender mainstreaming and access to financing for critical adaptation and mitigation projects.
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In a Watershed Year for Climate Change, the Commonwealth Secretary-General calls for Urgent, Decisive and Sustained Climate Action
During a visit to The Bahamas this week, the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland called for urgent action to ensure improved climate resilience of small states and promised to amplify the concerns of small and other vulnerable states at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow this November.
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Commonwealth to champion climate-vulnerable small states at COP26
A blog by Sharon Ngetich, Climate Change Officer, Climate Change Section, Economic, Youth & Sustainable Development Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat
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Blog: How nature based solutions could accelerate climate action in Africa
31 October 2021 to 12 November 2021
Event
The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP26 was held in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November. At COP26, the Commonwealth Secretariat hosted its first ever Commonwealth Pavilion, to serve as an inclusive and collaborative space for member countries and accredited organisations. Watch highlights and events recordings on our COP26 hub. You can also see what the Commonwealth Secretariat achieved at COP26 on social media by following the hashtag #CommonwealthForClimate.
9 September 2021 to 9 September 2021
Event
The Commonwealth Secretariat is hosting a webinar to enhance coordinated action towards sustainable land management (SLM) by increasing awareness and advocating for country-driven climate finance access for Commonwealth member countries.
Statement by The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth on the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released today
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Statement by Commonwealth Secretary-General on the latest IPCC climate report
The Government of Belize is focusing on debt-for-climate swaps to tackle the dual threat of mounting public debt and climate change impacts in the country, with the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat.
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Belize explores debt-for-climate swaps with Commonwealth support
It is perhaps fair to say that the world was ambushed by the pandemic in 2020. Global and national plans were derailed, and lives were lost and upended as each new development shocked and traumatised entire populations.
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Blog: Averting a Dual Crisis with One Financial Instrument