Latest content: Environment and climate change

For more information contact our Climate Change team

Main page for this area of work
Environment and climate change

Transformative climate finance for climate action: Leveraging COP30 decisions, commitments and momentum

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.

Webinar: Capacity-building for young people on the building blocks for climate finance

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.

The National Data Hub for Gender and Climate Information in Nigeria: A Framework for Implementation

This framework describes how a National Data Hub for Gender and Climate Information – a centralised, policy-linked platform that collects, harmonises and disseminates gender-responsive climate data – could be implemented. This transformative initiative would enable the Government of Nigeria to design inclusive and effective responses to mounting climate risks, strengthen institutional accountability and ensure that Nigeria’s climate actions reflect the lived realities of all of its citizens.
Read publication - The National Data Hub for Gender and Climate Information in Nigeria: A Framework for Implementation

Commonwealth stakeholders head to Mauritius to shape CCFAH’s next decade  

Since its inception, the island of Mauritius has hosted the headquarters of the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH). Now in its 10th year, it is apt that donors, development partners, advisers, and Commonwealth Secretariat stakeholders will meet in Port Louis on 11-12 September 2025 to determine strategic priorities and opportunities for CCFAH and reflect on the progress over the last decade.
Read news - Commonwealth stakeholders head to Mauritius to shape CCFAH’s next decade  

Commonwealth stakeholders come together ahead of critical global plastics treaty negotiations

Every year up to 23 million tonnes of plastics enter water ecosystems, posing serious human and environmental health threats. As negotiations for a legally binding global plastics treaty accelerate, the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance brought together officials from members countries to prepare for these critical negotiations.
Read news - Commonwealth stakeholders come together ahead of critical global plastics treaty negotiations

The Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition: Pathways and Progress Report

This report assesses the state of play in the Commonwealth regarding progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 which covers the access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030. and insights and implications for key actors, including governments. It also includes progress on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Commonwealth countries under the Paris Agreement.
Read publication - The Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition: Pathways and Progress Report

Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub hailed as a force multiplier

Two things separate the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) from other support mechanisms: its long-term advisory support and capacity-building prowess. Operating in its tenth year, the “Hub” has deployed 40 climate advisers and trained over 3,400 government officials, climate change professionals and young people to navigate the complexities of climate finance.
Read news - Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub hailed as a force multiplier

Commonwealth and UN space agency partner for a new era of sustainable development

The Commonwealth Secretariat and United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) this week signed a joint declaration to maximise the solutions that space technology, innovation and collaboration offer. The agreement covers not only climate and environmental resilience but also access to distance learning education opportunities, and equitable access to services. 
Read news - Commonwealth and UN space agency partner for a new era of sustainable development

The Commonwealth drives progress on historic BBNJ Agreement

The Commonwealth is playing a vital role in advancing the ratification and implementation of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), adopted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2023, and now coming into focus as countries gather this week in Nice, France, for the UN Ocean Conference.
Read news - The Commonwealth drives progress on historic BBNJ Agreement