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By Nafesha Richardson, Commonwealth Blue Charter Ocean Gender Outreach Assistant
Read news - Blog: Why I’m championing gender equality in ocean actionMain page for this area of work
Othniel Yila is an experienced climate finance practitioner. As the Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser for Zambia, he has helped the government secure at least US$21.7 million in climate financing for the country and built the capacity of 130 government officials to tackle climate change.
Read news - Ask the Expert: Othniel Yila, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser for Zambia The International Climate Initiative (IKI) of Germany, also known as the Internationale Klimaschutzinitiative, has announced the approval of two transformative youth-focused projects aimed at tackling climate change in Zambia and Namibia.
Read news - Empowering Africa's future through collaborationUzoamaka Nwamarah, Adviser, Climate Change and Katherine Blackman, Information and Knowledge Management Officer
Read news - Blog: Mobilising climate finance for NDCs - Lessons in strategy from GrenadaThe Commonwealth Secretariat and the Caribbean Development Bank have agreed to deepen their collaboration on sustainable development in the Caribbean region.
Read news - Commonwealth and Caribbean Development Bank join forces to advance sustainable developmentAs Pacific Island Countries are at the frontline of the impacts of climate change, they need adequate and accessible climate finance, which is necessary for them to implement much-needed projects.
Read news - The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub appoints advisers to Fiji and TuvaluRecently, advisers from the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH) completed a Climate Finance Writeshop in the Solomon Islands to strengthen the skills of climate stakeholders in producing effective concept notes by incorporating earth observation data.
Read news - Twenty climate stakeholders in the Solomon Islands receive training to improve access to climate financeIn 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.
Read news - Op-ed: The fierce urgency of nowOcean scientists and advocates have underscored the vital role of women in ocean-related sectors and the blue economy, calling for intensified efforts to achieve gender parity in these areas across the Commonwealth.
Read news - Commonwealth experts call for improved opportunities for women in ocean sectorAt 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.
Read news - Blog: Integrating human rights into renewable energy transitionLabanya 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.
Read news - Ask the Expert: Labanya Prakash Jena, Commonwealth Regional Climate Finance Adviser Indo-PacificMore than 70 local stakeholders in Mauritius have completed intensive training in international climate negotiations in the lead up to the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 this November.
Read news - Mauritius prepares for COP28 climate talks with Commonwealth supportYoung people, children and educators from all 56 Commonwealth member countries are invited to join a special challenge aimed at harnessing community-led innovations about sustainable energy – the first of its kind for the Commonwealth.
Read news - Clean energy challenge launched for Commonwealth children and youthThis 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.
Read publication - Accessing Development and Climate Finance: Issues and Challenges in the Commonwealth CountriesMxolisi Sibanda has spent close to 20 years working as a natural resources management and conservation expert in the UK and Africa. As an Adviser in the Climate Change Section of the Commonwealth Secretariat, he leads the Secretariat’s work around the Commonwealth Call to Action on Living Lands. He shares some insights about his work below.
Read news - Ask the Expert: Mxolisi Sibanda, Adviser – Climate ChangeRepresentatives from up to 56 Commonwealth nations, spanning Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Pacific and Europe, will gather in London from 24th to 26th May to discuss how to accelerate the global transition to more sustainable forms of energy.
Read news - Commonwealth countries convene to drive forward clean energy agendaJoin the Commonwealth Sustainable Energy Transition (CSET): Children and Youth Challenge! Details about eligibility and how to enter are below. The deadline for submissions was 10 September 2023 and is now closed.
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.
Read case study - Case Study: Building capacity for sustainable access to climate finance – A case of Namibia’s readiness for Green Climate FundAsk the Expert: Ruth Phillips Itty, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser for Saint Lucia
Read news - Ask the Expert: Ruth Phillips Itty, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser for Saint LuciaEnergy and Me focuses on how our transition to clean energy is being implemented, and on how children can play their part both now and in the future.
Read publication - Energy and MeThis book written for children aged 7–12 looks at some of the vast possibilities for clean, renewable energy across different countries and terrains.
Read publication - The Energy Around UsThis book explores how we get energy and how it is used, and charts the journey from traditional energy sources towards clean, renewable ones. Taking a global view while remaining grounded in young readers’ everyday lives, it considers why this transition is happening, and explains why no one must be left behind in the process.
Read publication - Roads to Clean EnergyAchieving universal access to affordable, reliable energy and increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix requires fundamental, rapid and large-scale shifts towards new technologies.
Read publication - Technology and Innovation in Sustainable Energy TransitionCommonwealth member countries rich in natural gas face complex policy choices and trade-offs concerning the need to generate maximum benefits from those natural gas resources while also transitioning to a low-carbon economy. While taking account of diverse and conflicting views on the subject, this report offers succinct and holistic guidance to inform these countries’ choices and help them achieve their development and climate change goals.
Read publication - Natural Gas Development in Low-Carbon Energy TransitionThe Commonwealth Secretary-General, Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, is in Papua New Guinea this week where she met with Prime Minister the Hon James Marape to discuss issues of mutual interest and strengthen partnerships between the Commonwealth and Papua New Guinea. The Prime Minister and Secretary-General also had fruitful discussion on gender issues, climate action and youth empowerment.
Read news - Commonwealth Secretary-General visits Papua New Guinea to strengthen partnerships and encourage action on gender issues