PINA

Pacific climate leaders were frustrated by the sluggish rate of progress made during the first week of the UN climate meeting in Azerbaijan. The big goal of this COP is to increase annual climate financing target from US$100 billion originally set in 2009 for developed nations to help developing countries reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Now into week two...

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is not surprised at the swell of opposition against the Treaty Principles Bill in Aotearoa. “These are certainly issues that will heat up the passions of people, so I'm not surprised at all that it has led to this nationwide hīkoi,” Brown told RNZ Pacific at a seabed mining meeting in Auckland. He went on...

Nauru, and Pacific communities at the forefront of climate change impacts, are not just amplifying the call for a 1.5-degree world simply to stay alive. Nauru’s Minister for Climate Change and National Resilience, Asterio Appi, has told world leaders attending the latest round of the global climate change negotiations in Baku Azerbaijan the people of his country deserve more. “We know...

Australia has been accused of being “out of touch with the reality of climate change” by campaigners as it bids to co-host the COP31 summit in 2026 with Pacific Island nations. Talks at the UN’s COP29 in Azerbaijan have entered their second week, with Australia taking a leading role in climate finance negotiations, while also pushing to secure COP31. A joint...

The world needs US$1.3 trillion dollars to deliver 1.5 degrees. The alternative is the burden of tens of trillions in loss, damage, and costs over the next decade in and an unstable and dangerous plus 3-degree world. The message was delivered loud and clear by Biman Prasad, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister, when he addressed world leaders on Tuesday, during the High-Level...

As global attention turn to what and how COP29 would decide on a new finance goal, the legend of a Palauan fisherman from the village of Ngarchemai has been used to illustrate the risks of indecision, and the need for world leaders to choose wisely for the survival of humanity. The fisherman apparently dove into the water after a turtle...

Opinion by Palau President, Surangel Whipps Jr A week into Cop29 negotiations, we’re not moving fast enough – or anywhere for that matter – on some key issues. Climate finance, or more specifically the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to replace the current US$100bn a year goal, and the work to operationalise the loss and damage fund, are key expected outcomes...

Rugby Australia aim to put together a team of Indigenous Australians and players with Pacific islands heritage to plug the gap in the British and Irish Lions schedule left by the demise of the Melbourne Rebels, CEO Phil Waugh has said. The Rebels Super Rugby team went into voluntary administration in January with debts of over AUD$20 million (US$13 million)...

The countdown has begun for the Oceania Rugby 7s Tournament, as the official draws were revealed today at the National Stadium in Honiara. Scheduled for 7–8 December 2024, this year's event will feature 15 men's teams and 9 women's teams, with a total of 58 thrilling games over two days of fierce competition. The tournament showcases a mix of seasoned rugby...

The Australian Government and Cricket Australia are partnering to support high-performance cricket across the Pacific and strengthen connections with the region. Delivered through the Australian Government’s PacificAus Sports programme, the renewed three-year, $1.55 million (US$1.01 million) partnership will identify and develop talented players from the Pacific region. The partnership will also create opportunities for Pacific teams to access high-level competitions,...