Latest content: Environment and climate change

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Delegates from across the Commonwealth gathered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 28 and 29 May 2026 for the 8th Steering Committee Meeting of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), marking a decade of support to member countries in accessing climate finance and building resilience to climate change.
Read news - Commonwealth climate finance meeting in Sri Lanka advances partnerships and data-driven solutions for climate action
A blog by John E Scanlon AO. John is Australian and British, and lived in Kenya while working for the United Nations.

The Commonwealth Secretariat acknowledges that our land resources are facing a triple crisis: climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss. Growing evidence makes one thing clear, tackling these interconnected threats demands collective, co‑ordinated and integrated action on a global scale.

Within three different corners of the Commonwealth, nature-based solutions are proving effective in restoring water systems - positively improving biodiversity and the lives of people who live there.
Read news - Blog: Nature doesn’t work in silos, neither should we
In a major step towards strengthening support for semi-nomadic agro-pastoral communities in the transboundary Kunene River Basin of Angola and Namibia, the global Adaptation Fund awarded US$24.55 million to a regional climate resilience project. The Commonwealth supported the project through its Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH).
Read news - Climate resilience project in Namibia and Angola secures US$24.55 million with Commonwealth support
Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) offer unique insights into the diverse capacities, achievements and challenges of Commonwealth member countries in meeting their transparency obligations under the Paris Agreement. By reviewing them alongside UNFCCC data and country-level survey and interview feedback, this report identifies best practices and evidence of progress, and provides recommendations for how the 'transparency gap' can be closed ahead of the next BTR cycle.
Read publication - Commonwealth Countries’ First Biennial Transparency Reports Review
In the heart of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, where the sprawling Durumi Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp is home to thousands of people forced from their communities by conflict and chaos, a powerful new light known as the Lighthouse for Peace has dawned.

At the centre of this initiative is Stanley Anigbogu, a 26-year-old Nigerian energy innovator, who saw the IDP camp’s tangled walkways and makeshift shelters not just as hardship, but as an opportunity to foster hope and practical resilience through energy access.
Read news - Lighting up lives: Young Nigerian and the Commonwealth ignite hope with recycled solar innovation
4 March 2026 to 4 March 2026
(GMT)
Webinar
For International Women’s Day 2026, the United Nations calls for urgent action on “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls,” reminding the world that gender equality remains unfinished business. This year’s theme is a rallying cry to dismantle entrenched barriers, accelerate justice for women and girls, and anchor all climate, development, and governance efforts in human rights and gender equity.
The Commonwealth Secretariat launched The Commonwealth Guide to Blue Bond Issuance at its inaugural environmental resilience day, held at Marlborough House. It is a practical, user-focused resource to help governments unlock innovative finance to protect the ocean while delivering benefits for people and nature.
Read news - Commonwealth launches practical guide to unlock blue bond finance for ocean protection
5 December 2025 to 5 December 2025
(GMT)
Event
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the global climate finance architecture and the need to accelerate the flow of both public and private capital to climate-vulnerable nations was high on the agenda for Commonwealth member countries. This is particularly critical for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and other vulnerable countries which continue to face persistent barriers to accessing finance at scale.
28 October 2025 to 28 October 2025
(GMT)
Webinar
Young people are increasingly recognised as vital agents of change in advancing climate action. This means including them in climate-policy decision-making and implementation. However, many young people - particularly in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other climate-vulnerable countries - continue to face barriers such as limited access to climate finance, insufficient green skills, and exclusion from decision-making processes.