By Kate Higgins*

Toda Peace Institute issued this article, and it is being republished with their permission.

VICTORIA, Australia | 16 November 2023 (IDN) — At last year’s COP27 in Egypt, an agreement was reached to establish a Loss and Damage Fund for countries, such as those in the Pacific, vulnerable to the “adverse effects” of climate change. Pacific leaders were among the leading voices advocating for the establishment of the fund. Potentially, this fund will exist in addition to the international aid the Pacific receives for disaster response, mitigation, adaptation, and climate “resilience”.…

By James Bhagwan*

SUVA, Fiji | 11 November 2023 (IDN) — For the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), the ecumenical alliance for the Pacific region, it was a very difficult decision to go to this year’s COP in Dubai, a conference chaired by the CEO of Dubai’s national oil company who is a significant figure in the global fossil fuel industry, which takes place in one of the major oil producing countries. PCC’s focus has always been on climate justice, and our colleagues in different collaboration spaces for climate justice spent a lot of time reflecting on whether they will attend COP28. …