Donald Trump has wasted no time clarifying what “America First” – the dominant idea driving his election campaign – means in practice. So far, it means a 90-day freeze on most foreign aid spending, as well as the withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris climate agreement. Of all the decisions made by Trump thus far, the most catastrophic are likely to be those related to climate change, including pushing for more oil and gas production. None of this will make America great again. On the contrary, Trump’s return to the White House has given a giant boost to China’s claims to world leadership. - Peter Singer
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Results for Climate change
Friday 7 February 2025
Melbourne, Australia
Monday 25 November 2024
Port Vila, Vanuatu
With COP29’s conclusion, the stage shifts to the Hague, where Vanuatu’s landmark International Court of Justice climate change case, will start on 2 December - with 110 UN member states and intergovernmental organisations testifying. Vanuatu's Special Envoy for Climate Change and Environment, stated yesterday that: “The commitments made in Baku — the dollar amounts pledged and the emissions reductions promised — are not enough. They were never going to be enough. And even then, based on our experience with such pledges in the past, we know they will not be fulfilled.”
Wednesday 20 November 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A new health report sheds light on the unique developmental challenges faced by Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). But despite obstacles, it says nations like Tonga, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu are making strides toward universal health coverage (UHC) by focusing on primary healthcare and public health initiatives.
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Thursday 14 November 2024
Honiara, Solomon Islands
A group of scientists working aboard a research vessel in the southwest Pacific Ocean has discovered the world’s largest coral. Measuring 34 meters wide, 32 meters long and 5.5 meters high, with a circumference of 183 meters, the gigantic organism is a complex network of coral polyps — tiny individual creatures — that have grown over a span of three centuries. In contrast to a reef — which is a network of many coral colonies — this structure is a standalone coral that has grown uninterrupted for hundreds of years.
Saturday 19 October 2024
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Severe flooding in Nuku’alofa inundated roads this morning after overnight storms, with gale force winds and exceptional rainfall, toppled trees and brought down power lines on Tongatapu. Forecasters warned that a second line of squally weather would pass over southern Tonga tonight, bringing more rainfall. In less than 24 hours today, Saturday, 'Eua and Fua'amotu recorded more than twice their average monthly rainfall for the whole month of October.
Friday 27 September 2024
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New York, USA
A high-level plenary meeting on “Addressing the existential threats posed by Sea-level rise” was attended by Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku and MEIDECC Minister, Hon. Fekitamoeloa 'Utoikamanu at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 25 September.
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Friday 20 September 2024
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Baku, Azerbaijan
The Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, established to aid developing countries that are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, is meeting this week in an international effort to get the Fund operational and recognised as a financial institution within the world bank system, ahead of COP29 the World Climate Summit to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The fund will help small island states and others with funding for climate resilience.
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Sunday 31 March 2024
Longoteme, Tongatapu
The Commonwealth Secretary General, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland KC attended Easter Sunday mass in the Kauvai Parish of the village of Longoteme, Tongatapu, this morning, where Cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi, Bishop of Tonga, conducted the service.
Saturday 30 March 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Commonwealth Secretary General, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland KC, arrived in Tongatapu today, on her first visit to Tonga, leading a Commonwealth team to discuss future initiatives and key challenges in the region, including the effects of climate change, maritime security and national debt distress.
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Friday 8 December 2023
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The issues of displacement and forced migration, as impacts of climate change, are real concerns for vulnerable developing countries, including Tonga and small Pacific islands, Tonga’s Speaker of Parliament Lord Fakafanua, told a High Level Segment for Speakers, on 6 December, on the side of the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, UAE.
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Tuesday 5 December 2023
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Dubai, UAE
King Tupou VI called for the creation of a Pacific-led community resilience financing facility and urged all partners to contribute to funding its establishment. The King expressed concern over the slow progress on the Paris Agreement, when he delivered a statement at the 28th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 1 December 5, 2023 in Dubai.
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Sunday 5 November 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's delegation, led by the Prime Minister Hon. Hu'akavameiliku, arrived in the Cook Islands on 3 November for the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum meeting to be held from 6-10 November. The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and climate change is high on the agenda. The Forum Secretary General Henry Puna said that the Pacific priorities and messages would be taken to the annual COP negotiations in UAE at the end of November.
Thursday 8 June 2023
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Suva, Fiji
A total of Euro €2.7 million has been pledged as part of a collaboration between the Kingdom of Denmark and the Pacific Community (SPC) to help in addressing loss and damage caused by climate change. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attended the signing in Suva.
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Friday 19 May 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
On May 12, some 3,000 mangroves were planted at three different coastal areas in the western district of Tongatapu, under Tonga's Second Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to plant one million trees by the end of 2023, administered by the Department of Climate Change.
Wednesday 3 May 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A team from the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience program to assist Tonga’s disaster resilience information and enhance community awareness on the harmful impact of climate change.
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Tuesday 25 April 2023
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Climate change education books have been donated by the Australian Government to primary and secondary schools throughout Tonga on 21 April.
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Thursday 9 March 2023
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Doha, Qatar
Climate change is our greatest security threat, Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Hu’akavameiliku, told the Least Developed Countries meeting, in Doha, Qatar, on 6 March, when he delivered Tonga's national statement.
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Friday 25 November 2022
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Trinidad and Tobago
Kilisitina Moala from Tonga made an impression at the meeting of Commonwealth Youth Parliamentarians held in the Trinidad and Tobago parliament on 23 November, when she delivered “a weeping lament that her homeland was sinking”.
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Tuesday 15 November 2022
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Wellington, New Zealand
A new $15 million commitment by New Zealand to the Adaptation Fund was made by Climate Change Minister James Shaw at COP27 in Egypt.
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Wednesday 9 November 2022
Sharm El-Sheikh, Eqypt
Climate change is the single greatest threat that will determine the future of Small Island Developing States like the Kingdom of Tonga, said King Tupou VI at COP27 this week. “We no longer have the luxury of time,” and our task is to agree to ambitious goals and act together before the impacts become irreversible for us all.
