FEATURES
When Climate Reality Hits Home: CVF-V20 Secretariat in Madagascar as a Category 4 Cyclone Makes Landfall
As a Category 4 cyclone slams into Madagascar’s coastline, the force of climate change is no longer abstract, it is immediate, physical, and deeply human. The CVF Secretariat team on the ground is witnessing firsthand how climate vulnerability translates into real-time emergency response, institutional coordination, and community resilience under pressure.
High Seas Treaty Enters Into Force
The first legally binding ocean instrument to provide for inclusive ocean governance, known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, entered into force on January 17, 120 days after at least 60 countries have ratified the treaty.
Liberia to Implement Carbon Levy on Maritime Shipping
The Republic of Liberia becomes the third African country to introduce a carbon levy on maritime shipping, after Djibouti’s and Gabon’s domestic implementation. Starting on March 1 this year, the country will impose a USD 25 per tonne fee on CO2 emitted by ships entering and leaving its ports.
Marshall Islands Pioneers Climate Resilience Strategy for Atoll Nations
The Blue-Green Atolls Project by the Republic of Marshall Islands begins its preparation phase after securing approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund. Initial stages include technical assessments, stakeholder engagement, and the mobilization of complementary public and private finance. With the United Nations Development Programme as the implementing agency, the project receives USD 38.5 million from co-financing and USD 8.537 million from the GEF Project Grant.
Fellowship Sessions Empower Climate Leaders to Drive Bold Action
January 2026 witnessed a transformative gathering of climate champions as the CVF-V20 Secretariat hosted a series of fellowship retreats and a residency to equip youth and mid-to-senior-level officials from the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations with co-learning and networking opportunities necessary to advance ambitious development-positive climate action.
CVF-V20 Backs Evidence-Based Climate and Economic Decisions in Pakistan
The CVF-V20 Secretariat met with Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change, H.E. Dr. Musadik Malik, on January 8 to align on how CVF-V20 tools and approaches can support national decision-making and delivery on climate and economic priorities. The discussion focused on positioning the Green Economy Model–Prosperity (GEM-P) as a practical, evidence-based tool for the Prime Minister’s Task Force, alongside advancing the launch and implementation of Pakistan’s Climate Prosperity Plan (CPP).
Women at the Core of Cambodia’s Green Economy Revolution
Cambodia recognizes women’s leadership as a robust accelerator of green economic development as the country approaches graduation from Least Developed Country status in 2029, seeking higher productivity, diversified growth, and greater uptake of green digitalization. Women are rising beyond perceptions of vulnerability, positioning themselves as champions of climate prosperity and sustainable development.
Pacific Women and the Call for Climate Justice
When island nations and regional allies presented their case before the International Court of Justice, women leaders, lawyers, and youth advocates were instrumental in building arguments that led to a landmark 2025 Advisory Opinion affirming states’ obligations to protect the climate and human rights.
Ni-Vanuatu Women Lead Disaster Response and Climate Action
Vanuatu is among the nations most vulnerable to the climate crisis. These environmental shifts often worsen existing socioeconomic gaps, disproportionately pushing women toward poverty and marginalization. Despite these challenges, Ni-Vanuatu women have emerged as resilient leaders, transforming how their communities prepare for and recover from disasters.
Gender-Responsive Climate Action in Bangladesh and Kenya
The worsening impacts of climate change are exposing gaps in financial and social systems while reshaping societies, with women often on the frontlines—managing households, securing resources, and caring for families under growing stress. The crisis exacerbates existing gender inequalities, yet women’s voices are largely missing from the policies meant to protect them. Without a gender-focused approach, millions of women and girls risk being pushed into extreme poverty, amplifying social and economic disparities worldwide.
Climate Shocks Are Rising, Our Financial Response Isn’t
Recent floods and cyclones have displaced more than 720,000 people, destroyed schools and health facilities, and disrupted access to food and clean water, overwhelmingly affecting children and families already struggling with poverty and climate risk in Mozambique. These weather extremes are not isolated events: they reflect a relentless rise in climate-driven shocks.
Colombia Frees Its Amazon Region from Large-Scale Mining
The Republic of Colombia vows to protect its share in the Amazon by declaring its entire biome off-limits to new large-scale mining and hydrocarbon projects, ensuring the conservation of ecological systems and the preservation of engraved ethical identity across the jungle. The declaration was made at a ministerial meeting of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) ministers during COP30 in November 2015.
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