The current Australian government is lagging far behind other developed countries on climate policies. It has been criticised domestically and internationally for its lack of commitment and efforts, not least from its neighbours in the Pacific. Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are particularly exposed and vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and they are at the forefront of international diplomatic initiatives on climate change.

A recent online conference on “Climate Change and Pacific Sovereignty” discussed the issues of identity and sovereignty with a focus on Pacific atoll nations. Politicians, academics and civil society representatives from the atoll nations of Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands presented their experiences, views and political approaches. They were joined by legal and policy experts from Fiji and Australia.

India witnessed two devastating cyclones, Tauktae and Yaas, hitting west and east coasts within a span of two weeks in May 2021. Such extreme weather events impact the lives of millions, both immediately and long after they have passed. The calamities occurred simultaneously as the second phase of the Covid-19 pandemic was claiming lives in the thousands daily. The cyclones and the pandemic together presented an ominous future of an unmitigated climate change.

The confrontation between the United States and China is deepening. China was the main actor in the shadows behind the G7 summit held in the UK from June 11 to 13. The common theme of the summit was "Build Back Better". The joint declaration covered a wide range of topics, including measures to combat the COVID-19, the economy and security, and climate change, all with China in mind.

Two years ago, in July 2019, the Toda Peace Institute published the ‘Toda Pacific Declaration on Climate Change, Conflict and Peace’. So far, the Declaration has attracted more than ten thousand endorsements (and Toda warmly welcomes further endorsements).

The state of India’s health security remains exposed by the ravaging spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The first wave of the pandemic, which had comparatively fewer fatalities, caused acute economic decline because of the unavoidable national and regional lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of the virus.