Island Voices @ COP29, Day 2! Today, COP29 convenes global leaders to set priorities and commit to climate action and the Paris Agreement, during the World Leaders Climate Action Summit (WLCAS).
According to the official COP29 agenda, key moments of the next 2 days include high level dialogues on long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies and addressing and deploying the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage. The COP29 Presidency stated that it will collaborate with countries that have committed to the fund to convert their pledges into tangible financial support. This support will be directed towards the most vulnerable communities, but the global conference will call for further financial commitments, as the current pledges fall short of the necessary amount.
As communities expect important announcements and updates on issues central to island nations, we will continue to hear prominent island advocates urging representatives and policymakers to act decisively. Their messages will underline the urgent need for support, adaptation, and resilience strategies that match the scale of the crisis island communities face.
Today's Island Innovation Events @ COP29
- November 12th 2024
- 11:15-12:15 Baku (AZT)
- CARICOM Pavillion | Blue Zone
- November 12th 2024
- 14:00 - 15:00 Baku (AZT)
- Extreme Hangout Pavilion | Green Zone
Exclusive Offer for COP29

In-person event: The Global Sustainable Islands Summit has been officially announced! Island Innovation and the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis will be co-hosting the 2nd edition of the in-person event in May 2025 in Saint Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean).
We will be gathering renowned professionals, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to address pressing challenges confronting island communities, focusing on Water Sustainability & Energy Nexus, Agricultural Resilience & Climate Adaptation and Climate-Health Interactions & Geothermal Energy.
Use the exclusive code “COP29” to get a discount (-$75) on your extra-early bird ticket, valid until the end of COP29 (November 30th)!
COP29 Day 1 summary
Yesterday, the Island Innovation team organised and participated in 3 side events.
The first side event Unity in Action: Intergenerational Voices for Just and Sustainable Islands in the Caribbean took place in the Extreme Hangout Pavilion. It saw Whitney Leah Melinard, Nigel Maduro & Tyrell Gittens, 3 youth leaders from the Caribbean Climate Justice Leaders Academy, share their stories of collaboration in the fight for climate justice and sustainability. The session highlighted how the wisdom rooted in traditional knowledge merges with the energy and innovation of younger generations to develop solutions that honour cultural heritage while addressing future climate challenges. Other speakers included Cheryl Senhouse (Finance Innovation Director, Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator (CCSA)), UnaMay Gordon (Senior Climate Change Expert & Resilience Advisor) and Grace Henry (Director of Projects, Island Innovation).
Our Project Manager, Arianna Abdul-Nour, used the olive tree as a metaphor and parallel to explore the patience, action and hope needed to combat climate change. She shared the stories of communities from Iraq, Latin America, and Morocco facing climate impacts and the importance of building resilience for future generations.
The team co-organised the final session of day in partnership with the Government of Curaçao and the Cabinet of the Special Envoy for Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius. Speakers explored funding pathways, addressed sector-specific barriers and climate policies, and discussed innovative financing options like public-private partnerships and green bonds. They also explored regional collaboration and the potential for an MOU to boost SIDS’ access to climate finance.
News And Key Insights
Today's island events at COP29
The Island Voices @ COP29 is also a platform to share information about island-related events during COP29. Here are some of today’s island related events:
Transformational Adaptation in Asia Pacific: progress, gaps and priorities for regional cooperation
Time: 12 November, 19:00-20:00h (Baku)
Location: Special Event Room – Buta, Area B
Org: UNFCCC, COP29, RCC Asia and the Pacific, YECAP
If you have relevant COP29 updates or announcements, please contact us via [email protected], and we’ll be happy to share them (keeping in mind we have to limit promotional content).
Thank you to our Partners


The National Bank of Dominica Ltd. (NBD) is the premier financial institution in Dominica, with XCD 1.67 billion (USD 614.7 million) in assets as of June 30, 2022. Our unwavering commitment is to empower individuals, organizations, and communities to achieve their financial goals.
Operating since 1978, NBD has been a trusted financial partner for 45 years, offering an array of financial products and services to cater to the unique needs of consumers, small businesses, and corporate clients, locally, regionally and globally. Our reach extends through our four branches, a wide network of ATMs, our user-friendly online platform (nbdominica.com), and convenient mobile banking services.
At NBD, our strength lies in our team of dedicated employees, numbering 178 strong, each committed to delivering top-notch service and expertise to our valued customers. We are proud to lead in every core business sector among banks in our local market.
NBD’s dedication to being a responsible corporate citizen has not gone unnoticed. We have earned accolades from our regulator, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), for our exemplary commitment to supporting communities and driving economic and social progress throughout Dominica. We are not just a bank; we are a catalyst for positive change and prosperity.
As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our mission to facilitate success, foster prosperity, and continue our legacy of excellence in banking.


The Open Society Foundations champions the search for bold, democratic solutions to our urgent, common challenges that advance justice, equity, and human dignity.
We do this by supporting a wide array of independent voices and organizations around the world that provide a creative and dynamic link between the governing and the governed.
Our approach seeks to counter the narrow pursuit of political self-interest and short-term opportunism—in pursuit of a sustainable future for people and planet that leaves no one behind.

The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre coordinates the Caribbean region’s response to climate change. Officially opened in August 2005, the Centre is the key node for information on climate change issues and on the region’s response to managing and adapting to climate change in the Caribbean.
It is a repository and clearing house for regional climate change information and data and provides climate change-related policy advice and guidelines to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States through the CARICOM Secretariat. In this role, the Centre is recognised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and other international agencies as the focal point for climate change issues in the Caribbean. It has also been recognised by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) as a Centre of Excellence, one of an elite few. This reputation is a major honour for the Centre, and it should be a great source of pride for the people of the Caribbean as well.


Climate change is not happening in isolation, and it does not respect boundaries. To build resilience and adapt to climate impacts, we need to better understand how climate change interacts with issues such as conflict, and how decisions made in one sector or country can have knock-on impacts on others. Located in the Blue Zone at COP29, the Climate, Peace and Transboundary Resilience Pavilion focuses on how to build resilience in a world of complex, interconnected threats. Its focus areas include: scaling up climate finance action for some of the world’s most vulnerable contexts, including fragile and conflict-affected countries and small islands: managing interconnecting threats and transboundary climate risks; and breaking down siloes between countries and across sectors to build meaningful climate resilience.


ODI is an independent, global think tank. We work to inspire people to act on injustice and inequality. Through research, convening and influencing, we generate ideas that matter for people and planet.
We lead thinking and agendas to deliver transformational change and bring about a global sense of resilient, just and equitable prosperity.
We deliver high-quality, internationally recognised research that informs policy design and convenes leadership across the global challenges identified above. We are a free thinking, inclusive and trusted think tank with a global footprint.


Peace Boat US works to build a culture of peace and sustainability around the world by connecting people across borders and creating opportunities for learning, activism and cooperation. We achieve this through programs in which people from the US and around the world participate in voyages onboard the Peace Boat, our Japan-based partner organization and one of the most unique and creative peace-building initiatives in the world.
Programs combine learning, activism, advocacy, and travel, enabling participants to learn first-hand about global issues such as war, environmental degradation, gender violence, and other issues. Participants experience grassroots peace-building efforts to find non-violent, creative, and constructive solutions, from local communities to global advocacy networks.


The Institute of Island Studies is a research, education, and public policy institute based at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The work of the Institute focuses on the culture, environment, and economy of small islands, with an emphasis on Prince Edward Island.
The Island Studies constellation at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, consists of the following:
- Institute of Island Studies: a research, education, and public policy institute that focuses on the culture, environment, and economy of small islands
- Master of Arts in Island Studies Program: an interdisciplinary and policy-driven graduate program that critiques islands on their own terms
UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability: a research chair currently held by UPEI anthropologist Dr. Jean Mitchell
Island Studies Press: a book publisher whose publications focus on producing Island Studies scholarly material for a popular audience


At COP29, Extreme Hangout is pushing boundaries by creating a dynamic space for youth-led climate action. From November 11th to 22nd in the Green Zone, Extreme Hangout will host workshops and sessions addressing the unique climate challenges of the region, such as water scarcity and renewable energy innovations. The key themes explored include nature and biodiversity, protecting our blue heart, redefining wealth, power to the people, innovative minds, and sustainable futures, moving with purpose, from seed to sustainability, travelling lightly, changing the narrative, and embracing our shared humanity.
By fostering collaboration with new partners and speakers, Extreme Hangout is committed to empowering young changemakers to drive real, lasting solutions and shape the global climate agenda.


We’re an international non-profit founded in 2003, with offices in London, New York, New Delhi, Amsterdam and Beijing.
In that time, we’ve grown our network to include over 500 multinational businesses in 175 markets worldwide.
We also work closely with governments at all levels. The Under2 Coalition, for which we are the Secretariat, is made up of 167 state and regional governments and has been named one of the international cooperative initiatives with the highest potential for emissions reductions.


Blue Planet Alliance is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 2020 by visionary entrepreneur and leading climate change advocate Henk Rogers. With support from partner organizations around the globe, the mission of Blue Planet Alliance is to get islands and countries around the world to legislatively mandate a commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2045. It is also working with governments, businesses, and individuals to help grow a global movement aimed at reducing the negative impact on the planet, thus aligning human behavior more in harmony with nature. For more information, visit blueplanetalliance.org/


Cari-Bois is a Caribbean-wide community that brings together communities, academic, scientists, and journalists, to further educate the region about present-day environmental issues which affect the wellbeing of the region’s natural resources and livelihoods.


Climate Tracker (CT) is an international non-profit organization, aiming to support, train and incentivise better climate journalism globally. We believe in the power of journalism, but recognise that many young journalists don’t have the training, resources or support to identify and tell the climate stories they want to. We also recognise that this challenge is often greatest in the countries hardest hit by climate change. Our mission is to support, train and incentivise young journalists in developing countries to tell better climate stories. By 2023, we aim to create a regionally diversified network that provides the best opportunities, training and support for early career climate journalists across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. To do this, we focus on provide training and fellowships for young journalists around the world to tell better climate stories locally, conduct action-oriented media research to better understand the biggest challenges, trends, and obstacles to powerful climate reporting around the world, fund young journalists to report on the world’s most pressing issues and cover the world’s biggest moments, UN negotiations and conferences, and support global collaborations between young climate journalists, newsrooms and NGOs around the world.


The Accelerator is an entrepreneurial engine that catalyzes and accelerates priority initiatives toward a Climate-Smart Zone, delivering resilience, social development, and broad-based economic growth for the Caribbean.
Our central objective is to help transform the region’s economy by fast-tracking sound public and private investment opportunities that support climate action and economic growth through sustainable development.
Drawing on the deep experience of our nations and institutions, a group of twenty-seven visionary Caribbean Governments, alongside some of the largest global companies, financial institutions, and foundations have joined The Accelerator to make the Caribbean a beacon of climate-smart development.
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