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Showing 9 of 2022 news items

Green Finance & EconomyMarch 25, 2026

Position Paper: Bridge the Climate Finance Gap for the BES Islands

Excerpt from clean-energy-islands.ec.europa.eu The special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (BES islands) are located in the Caribbean and part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The BES islands face growing challenges in securing the financing needed for a clean, reliable, and affordable energy transition. Energy transition financing is not only an environmental imperative for economic stability and energy security. The BES islands are highly motivated and have a robust pipeline of projects to meet their climate goals. By streamlining access to the right funding mechanisms, these initiatives can be unlocked. Clearer, scale-appropriate investment pathways will accelerate the transition to clean, reliable, and affordable energy, ensuring long-term stability and prosperity for households, utilities, and public budgets alike. As special municipalities, the position of the local governments and the utilities of the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustasius, and Saba differs from that of autonomous OCTs, and as a result, they face specific challenges in financing their energy transition. In this position paper, the Clean energy for EU islands secretariat presents those challenges and proposes recommendations for European and national policymakers to improve access to funding for the energy transition in the BES islands.

Climate ActionMarch 19, 2026

3 Lessons From Dominica’s Race To Be The First Climate-Resilient Nation

Excerpt from forbes.com Dominica, a small Caribbean island nation, has faced several extreme climate events in the last few years. Tropical Storm Erica in 2015 and Hurricane Maria in 2017 have both caused extensive damage to housing, infrastructure and agriculture, requiring years of recovery and rebuilding efforts. Hurricane Maria alone caused around $930.9 million worth of damage across Dominica, according to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. This included a 100% loss of power and 90% of buildings being damaged or destroyed, among other infrastructure impacts. Dominica’s agricultural sector was severely harmed as well, which resulted in high food insecurity and vulnerability for more than 24,000 people.

Climate ActionMarch 19, 2026

An Island Is Exposing a Massive Change in Earth’s Climate Engine

Excerpt from ittn.ie Macquarie Island sits in the remote Southern Ocean roughly halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica. Visitors arriving on this narrow and windswept island quickly notice the abundant wildlife. Elephant seals lie across dark coastal beaches, king penguins move in groups up green slopes, and albatrosses glide over the open, treeless highlands. A closer look, however, reveals that the landscape is shifting. Parts of the island’s slopes are becoming increasingly waterlogged, and distinctive megaherbs such as Pleurophyllum and Stilbocarpa are gradually disappearing from areas where they once thrived. For years, researchers suspected that rising rainfall was responsible for these ecological changes. New research published in Weather and Climate Dynamics now confirms that increasing precipitation is a major factor. The findings also suggest that the changes seen on this isolated UNESCO World Heritage site reflect a much larger climate story unfolding across the Southern Ocean.

Tourism & Remote WorkMarch 19, 2026

Puerto Rico Positions Itself as Sustainable, Wellness & Slow Travel Hub with New Global Campaign

Excerpt from ittn.ie Discover Puerto Rico – the Island’s official destination marketing organisation – has launched Awaken Your Senses, a new global marketing campaign anchored in consumer psychology insights that positions Puerto Rico as a destination where travellers reconnect with joy, belonging and culture through sensory experiences. The campaign was inspired by using consumer psychology insights and traveller research that highlight the growing demand for sensory-driven travel experiences. Rather than simply showcasing destinations, “Awaken Your Senses” focuses on how travelers experience Puerto Rico through rhythm, flavour, landscapes and human connection.

Water & FoodMarch 19, 2026

Jersey will protect over one-fifth of its waters from trawling

Excerpt from oceanographicmagazine.com Jersey has approved one of the most ambitious marine protection plans in the British Isles, nearly quadrupling the area of its seas protected from damaging fishing practices and positioning the Island as a leader in ocean conservation across the region. The newly agreed Marine Protected Area (MPA) network will cover 21.7% of Jersey’s waters from 1 September this year, with a further 1.9% scheduled to come into force on 1 January 2030. The network safeguards a range of ecologically important habitats, including kelp forests, seagrass meadows, biodiverse reef systems, and fragile maerl beds – among the rarest and most sensitive marine habitats in the region.

Ocean & BiodiversityMarch 19, 2026

Shark attack fatality reignites safety v environment debate in New Caledonia

Excerpt from rnz.co.nz The latest shark attack related fatality in New Caledonia has reignited debate between environmental organisations and those who place public human safety first. On Sunday, a 55-year-old surfer was found dead near the popular beach of Anse-Vata, with a post mortem revealing deep wounds on the body, especially on the arm and leg, the result of a likely shark attack. The same area was also the scene of a spate of three similar shark attacks early 2023, causing the death of a 59-year-old Australian tourist. In the wake of the latest tragedy, local authorities (Southern province and Nouméa municipality) are now re-launching a culling campaign targeting the same species as in 2023 - when 127 tiger and bull sharks were killed between January and August 2023 The announcement came via a joint statement on Monday for an immediate resumption of the culling. "In view of the gravity of the situation, the Southern Province (where Nouméa is located) and the Town of Nouméa have jointly decided to take their responsibility and to re-launch a targeted campaign of tiger and bull sharks", they said in a joint statement. It said the move was motivated by the need to "protect human lives". Swimming in certain areas is also prohibited until 4 March. However, just like in 2003, a fresh legal battle looms.

Climate ActionMarch 18, 2026

Small Islands, big signals: Africa leading on climate-nature delivery through NDCs

Excerpt from panda.org February brought powerful winds across the South-West indian Ocean. Once again, the cyclone season exposed how vulnerable island economies are. Storm surges, damaged ports and power outages disrupted tourism, fisheries, inter-island transport and trade. For Africa's Small island Developing States, climate colatility is not abstract. Even small shifts in weather can move quickly from coastlines to household budgets and national accounts. Extreme weather events are often treated as anomalies. Yet they tell a clear and repeated story. Cyclones, heavy rain, and storm surges all show the same pattern: climate volatility creates real economic costs. The best way to reduce these risks is not reactive spending after disaster strikes. It is to implement national climate plans with urgency and focus. The plans exist. The targets are clear. What matters now is implementation – a step that unlocks real benefits. And delayed action comes at a cost.

Energy & TransportMarch 18, 2026

Singapore venture raises S$50m for Indonesia projects as cross-border solar deals face headwinds

Excerpt from eco-business.com A new renewable energy developer founded by Frank Phuan has raised S$50 million (US$39 million) to build solar and green hydrogen infrastructure in Indonesia as regional efforts to export clean power to Singapore face regulatory barriers. Equator Renewables Asia (ERA), established last year by the former co-founder of Sunseap Group, secured the funding from strategic investors including Indonesian agribusiness firm KPN Corporation and Singapore-based shipping company Tsao Pao Chee (TPC). KPN and TPC contributed S$30 million (US$24 million) as key investors, with the remaining S$20 million (US$16 million) to come from Phuan and ERA’s management team.

Ocean & BiodiversityMarch 18, 2026

Regional Workshop Strengthens Caribbean Capacity on Genetic Resources

Source: thevoiceslu.com (excerpt and photo) Regional policymakers, scientists, and biodiversity experts gathered from March 3-5, 2026, at The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago, for a three-day Capacity-Building Workshop on Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) aimed at strengthening the Caribbean’s ability to manage genetic resources – which are all living organisms and their parts – and ensure equitable sharing of benefits derived from their use. The workshop brought together National Focal Points for the Nagoya Protocol, policymakers, researchers, and regional organisations from across the Caribbean. The event was organised through a collaboration between the BlueRemediomics Consortium, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission (OECS), and the German international cooperation agency (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) under the new CARICOM/GIZ regional biodiversity project (CARIBIO).