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Environment and climate change

Commonwealth environment and climate ministers meet for first time to chart a course towards stronger climate action

On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday the Commonwealth marked a historic moment as the inaugural Commonwealth Environment and Climate Ministers Meeting (CECMM) convened, uniting ministers, distinguished speakers, and representatives from Commonwealth member states, partner organisations and stakeholders.
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Op-ed: The fierce urgency of now

In 1967, American civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King said in a speech, "we are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late." For far too many in the world today affected by our changing climate, this statement is an urgent truth.
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Blog: Integrating human rights into renewable energy transition

At the 2023 Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Forum, Dr Shavana Haythornthwaite, Head of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit, highlighted the importance of integrating human rights into the transition to renewable energy. In this blog, she delves into the challenges and opportunities associated with this integration, shedding light on its significance.
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Ask the Expert: Labanya Prakash Jena, Commonwealth Regional Climate Finance Adviser Indo-Pacific

Labanya Prakash Jena served as the Commonwealth Regional Climate Finance Adviser, Indo-Pacific Region at the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) from 2021 to 2023. To date, more than US$8 million in climate finance has been mobilised for the region, with the support of CCFAH. Nearing the end of his tenure, Labanya shares some insights about the region and his work.
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Accessing Development and Climate Finance: Issues and Challenges in the Commonwealth Countries

This report provides a succinct overview of development finance and climate finance, focussing on its provision to Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States within the Commonwealth. It considers the current and potential roles of multilateral development banks and international development financial institutions; tools such as ‘debt for climate’ swaps; and the need to reconsider the use of and balance between debt capital and grants. Finally, the report proposes alternative funding mechanisms and reforms to international financial architecture that could have transformative impacts on capital flows to enable vulnerable developing nations to respond to the effects of climate change and increase their resilience.
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Case Study: Building capacity for sustainable access to climate finance – A case of Namibia’s readiness for Green Climate Fund

The Commonwealth Secretariat’s Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) deployed National Climate Finance Adviser (CNCFA), Carol Mwape, in May 2021 to facilitate improved access by Namibia to climate finance to meet their priority needs in securing sustainable development. The support is aimed at creating an enabling environment conducive for accessing available climate funds both locally and internationally, and to effectively utilize it for supporting sustainable development efforts.
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