PINA

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has reiterated the importance of the Paris Agreement and climate finance for developing countries to world leaders present at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, COP29. Brown has called on world leaders to do the right thing by the Pacific countries, don’t make them jump...

Fiji has called for greater integration of ocean themes across this year’s COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Speaking at the Pacific Climate Champions High-Level Panel Event on the sidelines of the COP29, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Hon. Biman Prasad said that like other small island nations in the Pacific, Fiji faces direct threats from climate change through rising...

France has delayed elections in New Caledonia to enable negotiations on a new political statute. But what happens if a deal can’t be struck? By Nic Maclellan After six months of conflict, the French parliament has voted to delay New Caledonia’s scheduled provincial and national elections until late 2025. The New Caledonian government, currently led by President Louis Mapou, will remain...

They may have lost 19-33, but a battling performance from Spain who, despite missing a selection of French based players, pushed Fiji further than many expected and perhaps many Spanish fans could have hoped. Over 15,000 people came out to bask in the sun and watch Spain take the game to Fiji, with offloads and a fast pace set from...

Fiji will join New Caledonia in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Oceania Qualifiers next year in New Zealand after a well-contested draw in Port Moresby. Roy Krishna’s first-half, stoppage-time penalty gave Fiji the lead before Jean-Jacques Katrawa equalised just before the hour mark. The result subsequently eliminates Papua New Guinea from contention. New Caledonia advance as Group...

Solomon Islands have ended their FIFA World Cup 26™ Oceania Qualifiers campaign on a high with a victory over hosts Papua New Guinea. Both sides were resigned to their fate, with Solomon Islands eliminated after their loss on Thursday to New Caledonia, whilst Fiji’s draw earlier in the day meant Papua New Guinea could no longer advance to the semi-finals. The...

As negotiations over how to tackle climate change head into their fifth day in Baku, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed solidarity with young climate advocates at COP29, who told him they are frustrated by the lack of political action on the crisis. “You have every right to be angry. I am angry too,” the UN chief posted on social...

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell hailed nine countries as pioneers of transparency at COP29, recognising their commitment to the Paris Agreement through the first-ever Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). “These nations are standing and delivering on a crucial commitment,” Stiell said at the event in Baku. Transparency under the Paris Agreement took a major step forward as Stiell acknowledged the...

A groundbreaking study conducted by Dynamic Planet and National Geographic Pristine Seas has revealed that to meet the global target of protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030, the world must create 85 new marine protected areas (MPAs) each day. This ambitious 30x30 goal, set during the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Conference (COP15) in December 2022, has...

As COP29 unfolds in Baku, Azerbaijan, with world leaders engaged in critical discussions on climate finance, a groundbreaking discovery in the Solomon Islands serves as a stark reminder of the critical need for urgent action. A team of scientists aboard the National Geographic Pristine Seas research vessel in the Southwest Pacific recently found the world’s largest known coral, a sprawling...