Curated expert opinion on intractable contemporary issues

Global Outlook: Climate Change and Conflict

Australia Violated The Rights Of Torres Strait Islanders By Failing To Act On Climate Change, The UN Says

By Kristen Lyons  |  04 October, 2022

In a landmark decision, a United Nations committee on Friday found Australia’s former Coalition government violated the human rights of Torres Strait Islanders by failing to adequately respond to the climate crisis.

Pacific Leaders Urge Re-Focus on Climate Emergency

By Volker Boege  |  29 September, 2022

At the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022, the leaders of the small island – or ‘big ocean’ – countries in the Pacific called for a re-focus on the global climate emergency. Using their moral authority, which is grounded in the fact that their countries are the ones most affected by this emergency while contributing hardly anything to its causes, Pacific leaders demanded more decisive climate action and put forward new proposals and initiatives.

Climate Change, Not China, the Most Important Security Concern for Pacific Island Countries

By Volker Boege  |  02 August, 2022

The meeting of the leaders of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) countries in Suva, Fiji, in mid-July drew more international attention from beyond the region than usual, as it took place at a time of increasing geo-strategic competition between USA and China. Moreover, it was the first in-person meeting of leaders since 2019. For the last two years, the COVID pandemic has made such meetings impossible.

Navigating Climate-Related Mobility and Human Security in the Pacific Islands

By Tim Westbury  |  08 July, 2022

The Pacific Islands security narrative is often dominated by voices and interests from outside of the region. At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue, among the hype surrounding geo-strategic competition in the Pacific, Fiji’s Defence Minister Inia Seruiratu said that the “single greatest threat to our very existence is ... human-induced, devastating climate change.”

Civil Society, Climate Action, and the State in China

By Robert Mizo  |  24 June, 2022

Civil societies are key actors in the fight against climate change. They provide a fillip where state agencies and intergovernmental processes lag and have the potential to hold these actors accountable in the fight against climate change. The People’s Republic of China, despite all its trappings of being a communist authoritarian state, has allowed a considerable yet well-defined space for environmental civil society organisations, including those working on climate change.

Climate Change Threatens First Nations – Their Perspectives Must Be Heard

By Karin Gerhardt, Jon Day, Larissa Hale and Scott F. Heron  |  13 June, 2022

Australia’s First Nations people face many threats from climate change, ranging from impacts on food availability to health. For instance, rising seas are already flooding islands in the Torres Strait with devastating consequences.

The views and opinions expressed in Global Outlook are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Toda Peace Institute.