VIS 2026VIS 2026 — Virtual Island Summit|Also: GSIS 2027GSIS 2027
Island Innovation Logo
About
Services
The Network
Events
Content Library
Contact Us

Subscribe to our newsletter. By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy.

Island Innovation

Island Innovation works with governments, institutions, and partners worldwide to support island-led sustainable economic development.

We Support The UN Development Goals

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 14: Life Below Water
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Explore

AboutServicesNetworkEvents

Content

ArticlesNewsCareers

Ready to Connect?

Join the island innovation community

Get in Touch

About

  • About us
  • Case Studies
  • FAQs
  • Press
  • Careers
  • Contact

Services

  • Services Overview
  • Public & Media Relations
  • Strategic Communications

Network

  • The Island Network
  • Academic Council
  • Newsletter

Events

  • Our Events
  • Watch Past Events

Content

  • All Content Library
  • Videos
  • Articles
  • News
Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceContact

© 2025 Island Innovation. All rights reserved.

    News

    Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

    Filter by Core Theme

    All ThemesCircular EconomyClimate ActionConnectivity & DigitizationCulture & CommunityEnergy & TransportGreen Finance & EconomyOcean & BiodiversityPolicy & GovernanceTourism & Remote WorkWater & Food
    Showing 9 of 254 news items in Policy & Governance
    Indonesia’s geothermal governance must empower local people
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 24, 2025

    Indonesia’s geothermal governance must empower local people

    Photo credit: Asian Development Bank, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Flickr. Excerpt from eco-business.com Geothermal energy is a crucial part of Indonesia’s plan to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2060. The country aims to add 5.2 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in 2025-2034, compared to a current capacity of 2.7 GW, according to state-owned news agency Antara. By 2060, it is targeting 22.7 GW of non-variable geothermal capacity, mainly through large-scale plants. With this goal, the aim is to attract investment in these power plants, which are intended to replace coal-fired facilities; meet the country’s net-zero objectives by providing a stable baseload supply; and ensure grid reliability.

    Read more
    12345678910
    St Helena Chief Minister on BBC to Highlight Island’s Climate Priorities at COP30
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 20, 2025

    St Helena Chief Minister on BBC to Highlight Island’s Climate Priorities at COP30

    We should be plateauing, which we're almost there, and then decreasing in order to protect decent ceilings of temperature for most of humanity. But of course, there are abundant proof points of the fact that we're decarbonizing the economy. Not at the scale and speed that we should, but we're definitely moving in the right direction. That was Cristiana Fgerz, former UN climate chief, saying that we're moving in the right direction on combating global warming. But the UN now says it's virtually impossible to keep to the international target of limiting global warming to 1.5° C.

    Read more
    Cayman quietly emerging on the global environmental scene
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 20, 2025

    Cayman quietly emerging on the global environmental scene

    Excerpt from caymancompass.com As world leaders continue to meet in Brazil for COP30, the Cayman Islands has stepped onto the global stage with a clear and ambitious agenda. From joining other low-lying nations calling for fairer climate finance and recognition of shared vulnerabilities to seeking inclusion under the Paris Agreement, Cayman aims to show that small islands can help steer global action. The date was 10 Nov. when the humid air of the Amazon basin hung thick with anticipation as world leaders, climate negotiators and activists converged on Belém, Brazil – the vibrant gateway to the world’s largest rainforest.

    Read more
    Japan’s first female prime minister doesn’t call herself a feminist — but the country needs her to tackle sexism in science
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 16, 2025

    Japan’s first female prime minister doesn’t call herself a feminist — but the country needs her to tackle sexism in science

    Photo credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty via Nature.com Excerpt from nature.com Japan struggles with gender equity. It ranked 118th out of 148 countries in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index. Against this backdrop, the election of a woman, Sanae Takaichi, as Japan’s prime minister on 21 October is a milestone. But will her rise to the nation’s highest office serve as a catalyst for changing social attitudes? As a woman and a neuroscientist, I have been involved in large surveys on gender equality in Japanese academia, and I feel conflicted. There is hope. Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party (JIP), have released an agreement that pledges to “substantially expand” grants for scientific research and to “establish a system granting legal effect to the use of maiden names”. Both are promising for researchers, but the future of Japanese science will depend on how these policies are implemented.

    Read more
    How a shape-changing island in the Amazon became the center of a decades-long border dispute
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 2, 2025

    How a shape-changing island in the Amazon became the center of a decades-long border dispute

    Excerpt from edition.cnn.com In the heart of the Amazon Basin, where the borders and cultures of Peru, Colombia and Brazil converge, a tiny, shape-shifting island has become the unlikely setting for a diplomatic tug of war. Santa Rosa is an island in the Amazon River. There’s no agreement on when it emerged from the water, but official settlement began in the 1970s. Today, it’s home to around 3,000 people. But the land they live on isn’t stable; Santa Rosa’s shape and size shifts with the river’s flow. Each year, sandbanks form and disappear, as the main channel carves new paths. “If God wanted, the river would change and even Santa Rosa could disappear,” said Gladys Hari Leiva, a hotel owner who has lived on the island for 21 years.

    Read more
    NZ warns Pacific sovereignty at risk in deep sea resource race
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 2, 2025

    NZ warns Pacific sovereignty at risk in deep sea resource race

    Photo: Pete Hegseth / X via PMN.co.nz Excerpt from pmn.co.nz New Zealand’s Defence Minister Judith Collins has warned that Pacific island nations are under growing pressure from global powers competing for control of the region’s rich seabed minerals and fisheries. Collins, who visited Washington last week, says the Pacific is becoming a “strategic crossroads” for aid, development, influence, resources, and security. She says the Pacific was becoming a “strategic crossroads”, not just for aid or development, but for influence, resources and security.

    Read more
    ‘Dream realised’: East Timor becomes ASEAN’s 11th member
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 2, 2025

    ‘Dream realised’: East Timor becomes ASEAN’s 11th member

    Excerpt from aljazeera.com East Timor has joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the bloc’s 11th member state in a move Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao hailed as a “dream realised”. The flag of East Timor, which is also known as Timor-Leste, was added to ASEAN’s other 10 on Sunday at a formal ceremony at the bloc’s annual summit at the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, drawing loud applause.

    Read more
    Don’t let EU Islands sink under the ‘Coastal’ label
    Policy & GovernanceNovember 1, 2025

    Don’t let EU Islands sink under the ‘Coastal’ label

    Excerpt from cpmr.org The CPMR and its Islands Commission have consistently welcomed the European Commission’s commitment to a dedicated EU Strategy for Islands, as initially presented in the 2025 Cohesion mid-term review communication. This document acknowledged that island and outermost regions face unique challenges – from energy dependency and limited accessibility to labour shortages and climate vulnerability – requiring targeted policy responses. However, the 2026 European Commission Work Programme, as presented today in front of the European parliament, raises serious concerns regarding the much-anticipated EU Strategy for Islands, as it suggests that it would be merged into a broader EU Islands & Coastal Communities Strategy. The CPMR warns that such an approach would dilute the distinctive features of insularity within a wider territorial category, risking the loss of focus on islands’ structural challenges.

    Read more
    Islanders take council to court over new school location
    Policy & GovernanceOctober 27, 2025

    Islanders take council to court over new school location

    Excerpt from bbc.com Islanders in Mull are taking their council to court over the decision of where to build a new school. Argyll and Bute Council decided earlier this year to build the new £43m school campus close to the current high school in Tobermory. Many parents wanted a more central location so that pupils in the south of the island would no longer have to travel by ferry to Oban for schooling and stay in hostels during the week. The case will be heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh later and a decision is expected further down the line.

    Read more