To celebrate Earth Day on 22 April, the Commonwealth Secretariat and Satellite Applications Catapult are launching the first-ever Hack the Planet competition, in search of innovative, impactful and scalable ideas that will tackle the threats facing communities around the world, linked to ocean degradation and the climate crisis.
Read news -
Hack the Planet competition seeks solutions to the world’s most pressing ocean challenges
Main page for this area of work
Access to climate finance is a challenge for many developing countries, including for small island developing states.
Read publication -
Earth Observation Technologies for Improved Access to Climate Finance
Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has urged member countries to integrate sustainable land use management into their national climate action plans, with a focus on nature-based solutions, on the road to the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 this November.
Read news -
Commonwealth to bolster action on sustainable land use management on the road to COP26
The threat of climate change has triggered a global transition to a low-carbon economy.
Read publication -
Inclusive Energy Transition
This paper examines enabling frameworks that encourage the investment needed for sustainable energy transitions, including policy, laws, regulations, standards, governance institutions and implementation tools.
Read publication -
Enabling Frameworks for Sustainable Energy Transition
2 March 2021 to 2 March 2021
Event
In this virtual event, speakers will discuss digital agriculture and digital fisheries, especially during the global health pandemic. The event builds on the outcomes of the 4th Supply-Side Connectivity Cluster meeting of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda held in November 2020 which called for a focus on smart agriculture for sustainable development.
This paper focuses not only on the special needs of small states and small island developing states (SIDS) in the challenge to reduce plastics pollution, production and trade, but also on the opportunities.
Read publication -
Plastic Production and Trade in Small States and SIDS
5 March 2021 to 5 March 2021
Event
In the lead up to International Women’s Day, the Commonwealth Secretariat will be celebrating women’s contributions to ocean science. Secretary General Baroness Scotland will introduce this special web event highlighting inspiring stories of women from across the Commonwealth who are challenging gender norms through their work in ocean industries.
The New Producers Group has launched a web platform that showcases its wide range of activities and resources as well as a ‘members portal’ for the network of 30 emerging oil and gas-producing countries to engage with each other.
Read news -
New Producers Group launch new website
Close to 4,000 robotic devices deployed in oceans around the world will soon be upgraded to collect a wider range of vital data on ocean health – this will help researchers better understand the impacts of the climate crisis on ocean life and blue economies.
Read news -
Robotic floats give hope for tackling ocean climate change
The Commonwealth Secretariat has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with eXXpedition, a non-profit organisation that runs all-women sailing expeditions to research the causes of, and solutions to, marine plastic pollution.
Read news -
Commonwealth joins forces with all-women sailing crew to fight plastic pollution
The Commonwealth Secretary-General has welcomed plans to establish a new Centre of Excellence in Oceanography and the Blue Economy at the University of West Indies Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda.
Read news -
New Caribbean centre for oceanography, blue economy welcomed
New petroleum-producing countries are facing key challenges linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a crash in oil markets, a significant decline in investments, along with long-term impacts of the global transition towards a lower carbon economy.
Read news -
Emerging oil and gas producers urged to adapt to new realities
When 197 countries adopted the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015, I remember feeling an extraordinary surge of hope – for multilateralism, for science, for humanity.
Read news -
OPINION: Can we rise from the COVID-19 ashes and win the climate battle?
A newly released report funded by the Government of Canada has called for better opportunities in ocean science for women and those who identify as non-binary, in order to achieve sustainable ocean governance.
Read news -
New study calls for gender equity in ocean science
2 December 2020 to 2 December 2020
Event
Youth activists as young as nine will join a momentous session on protecting the planet at a time when global climate talks are put on ice.
1 December 2020 to 3 December 2020
Event
The Annual Meeting of the New Producers Group will be held virtually from 1-3rd December 2020.
More than 90 government officials from 11 nations have gained new skills that will help them make sound decisions on petroleum field development plans submitted by oil companies, to ensure they promote sustainable development.
Read news -
Officials trained to assess multi-billion dollar petroleum investments
The Commonwealth Blue Charter, the Commonwealth’s flagship programme on ocean cooperation, has been invited to join a leading line-up of official nominators for the prestigious Earthshot Prize.
Read news -
Commonwealth Blue Charter joins the search for first Earthshot Prize winners
At the 11th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in 2017, ministers agreed to secure an agreement on disciplines on fisheries subsidies.
Read publication -
WTO Fisheries Subsidies Negotiations
21 October 2020 to 23 October 2020
Event
The COVID-19 crisis is wreaking havoc on development progress. It also presents an opportunity for rethinking the economic vulnerability of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and developing countries more generally.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General has commended the invaluable contributions of indigenous peoples to the global fight against climate change, calling for more home-grown ‘regenerative’ solutions to be scaled up across the Commonwealth.
Read news -
Commonwealth Secretary-General: Indigenous people key to inclusive climate action
The Commonwealth Secretary-General has welcomed the launch today by His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge of the Earthshot Prize.
Read news -
Commonwealth Secretary-General welcomes launch of prestigious Earthshot Prize
This webinar will provide an overview of the Blue Economy concept, including key opportunities and challenges for Commonwealth countries, and present successes and lessons learned from two Blue Charter case studies.
Read news -
Webinar: The Blue View - Opportunities and Challenges for the Blue Economy
Specialists from around the world have outlined core factors for success and sustainability in the multi-billion dollar aquaculture sector.
Read news -
Webinar reveals keys to aquaculture success