Resilience in Action: Pacific Fight for Climate Justice

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka

The Pacific campaign has had an incredibly busy year resulting in deeper and more meaningful relationships with governments, civil society, Indigenous groups, young people and communities. The Pacific people see themselves as an integral component of the holistic ecosystem therefore we do not see our environment and biodiversity separate from our oceans or our people. We have taken the world’s biggest problem of climate to the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

We have formulated our own powerful submission on the impacts of climate change on human rights for current and future generations. It is a powerful collection of stories of resilience from people across the world.

We launched the Journey for Justice Documentary where you can follow law student and activist Anjali Sharma as she travels across the Pacific on Greenpeace’s iconic ship, the Rainbow Warrior, to hear from those most impacted by climate change. The documentary showcases how activists from across the globe are using the law to hold big polluters to account.

We’ve collaborated with our governments and urged others worldwide to make strong submissions to the ICJ, while preparing with our alliance for the oral hearings later this year.

Our climate justice work has also united Pacific people, civil society, and governments, allowing us to enter key political spaces like the Small Island Development States (SIDS4) conference, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) intersessions, the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Conference of the Parties (COP) as a unified force.

We went to the International Seabed Authority Conference in Kingston, Jamaica, to emphasise the urgency of building momentum on deep-sea mining. We’re focused on amplifying Pacific voices, exposing the industry’s reckless behavior, and ensuring the world sees what’s at stake. Our efforts include running educational programs, collaborating with governments, and creating platforms for Pacific communities to share their stories at international forums.

But none of this work would be possible without the love and support from our wider Greenpeace family.

Vinaka Vakalevu.