ICLEI Oceania

07/10/2026

🌏 Join us at the Pacific Pre-COP!

Pre-COP is just around the corner, and we’re looking forward to hosting: 'Pacific Local Governments at the Ocean-Climate Frontline', as part of next week’s Pre-COP Stakeholder Program: Vale ni Vanua Knowledge Exchange.

Event details:
📢 Title: Pacific Local Governments at the Ocean-Climate Frontline
🗓️ Date: Thursday, 8 October 2026
🕒 Time: 11:45 am - 12:30 pm FJT
📍 Venue: Ballroom 2, Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa
🔗 Register here: https://greenzone-precop31.com/register?event=pacific-local-governments-at-the-ocean-climate-frontline

Pacific cities and towns face some of the world’s most severe ocean-climate impacts, but they are also creating solutions that offer valuable lessons well beyond the region.

Bringing together municipal leaders, department officials and iTaukei indigenous voices, this panel discussion will unpack what needs to change in climate governance, capacity, and access to finance so that local governments, both in the Pacific and beyond, can deliver the climate action required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

As the Pre-COP builds momentum towards , Pacific voices are helping set the agenda for what real climate progress looks like.

We’re pleased to be joined by our panellists:
🔹 Tekimwau Otiawa Tabunawati, President's Office and Ministry of Climate Change, Kiribati,
🔹 Anand Pillay, CEO, Sigatoka Town Council, Fiji
🔹 Saliceni Raiwalui, Special Administrator, Nadi Town Council -NTC, Fiji
🔹 Shalend Singh, Head of Services, Lautoka City Council, Fiji

This session will be moderated by ICLEI Oceania Board Member, Rajneesh Lata Charan.

Our sub-regional Pacific Islands Office Coordinator, Jyoti Prasad, will be on the ground in Nadi, connecting with our Local Government members and regional partners. We look forward to seeing you there!

🔗 Register here: https://greenzone-precop31.com/register?event=pacific-local-governments-at-the-ocean-climate-frontline

30/09/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝗢𝗣: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟯𝟭 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲?

We are pleased to announce Melbourne’s first ever Town Hall COP - Powered by hope and driven by youth.

Co-hosted by ICLEI Oceania, the City of Melbourne and United Nations Association of Australia (Victoria), this event invites young Melbournians to step inside a climate negotiation, explore the climate priorities of our Pacific neighbours, and help shape Melbourne's youth message for COP31.

Participants will tackle this big question in two parts:
▪️ 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭 | 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗨𝗡 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – step into the shoes of our Pacific neighbours and explore different climate priorities and perspectives
▪️ 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮 | 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲: 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟯𝟭 – determine what meaningful progress at COP31 looks like for Melbourne’s young people

We look forward to hearing from esteemed speakers including City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece and LGMA Constituency Focal Point, Ariel Dekovic, with sessions led by representatives from the DCCEEW Youth Advisory Council on International Climate Change, Oceania Caribbean Climate Alliance, and World Food Forum Australia Youth Chapter.

Through ICLEI's role as focal point for the Local Government and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, this local conversation can be elevated into the international UNFCCC COP process – together with Town Hall COPs happening worldwide.

Town Hall COPs are ICLEI-led climate dialogues designed to bring global climate goals home and connect climate action at every level. Learn more: https://iclei.org/town-hall-cop/

We’re proud to hold this Town Hall COP special event in collaboration with C40 Cities and the LGMA Constituency.

Register: https://events.humanitix.com/melbournetownhallcop-poweredbyhopedrivenby-youth

25/09/2026

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM OUR RECENT WEBINAR | COP31 ON THE HORIZON: What local governments need to know

Last Monday, we held a webinar for local and regional governments in our region to better understand . Given the significant role Oceania is playing this year, with Australia holding the COP31 presidency for negotiations and the Pacific hosting the Pre-COP, this webinar provided an opportunity to discuss what this year's COP cycle means for the region, how local governments can engage, and what they can expect in the lead-up to, during, and beyond COP31.

Some highlights from the discussion:
🔷 Shared governance as an innovative model: The Australia-Türkiye shared governance framework is a successful example of multilateralism in climate diplomacy.
🔷 Local governments as frontline implementers: Local governments play a critical role in translating international and national climate commitments into local action as first responders managing essential systems that build climate resilience.
🔷 Transforming vulnerability into leadership: The Pacific should be recognised not only for its vulnerability to climate impacts but also for the leadership, innovation and resilience of its communities.
🔷 Making local action visible: Local governments should use reporting mechanisms to share their work and encourage connection and learning, both at a national and international level.
🔷 Good neighbours build resilience: Climate impacts should be framed as a shared regional challenge, with mutual relationships in which governments learn and rely on one another.

A huge thank you to those who joined us from all around Oceania and to our brilliant panellists: Aaron Kirby (aaron-kirby) from DCCEEW (department-of-climate-change-energy-the-environment-and-water), Ariel Dekovic (arieldekovic) from ICLEI (iclei) World Secretariat, Muni Reddy from Nadi Town Council, Mayor Moira Were (moirawere) from the City of Onkaparinga (city-of-onkaparinga) and Dr Kate Strachan (kateleighstrachan) from ICLEI Oceania.

🔗Click here to read more: https://icleioceania.org/2026/09/23/insights-from-the-cop31-webinar-what-local-governments-need-to-know/

As the focal point for the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, ICLEI brings the voices and perspectives of local and subnational governments into the global climate negotiations. If your local government would like to learn more about being part of the urban sustainability journey or the opportunities available through the LGMA Constituency, please contact [email protected] for further information.

23/09/2026

What does a resilient urban future look like in Oceania?

It looks like large cities, rural councils, and island communities across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific turning global sustainability goals into local action. And they're not doing it alone…

Backed by 2,500+ local governments worldwide, the ICLEI network supports local governments ready to lead the shift to a more sustainable, resilient future.

Get in touch to become part of it: https://icleioceania.org/members/join-iclei/

08/09/2026

📣 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗦 | 𝗖𝗢𝗣𝟯𝟭 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄

With the Pacific Pre-COP fast approaching, we are bringing together local government representatives and key leaders from Oceania to discuss COP31 proceedings and what it all means for local governments. Together, we will explore what this year’s COP processes mean for our region, how local governments can engage, and what to expect in the lead-up to, during and beyond .

🎙️We’ll hear valuable insights from:

🔷 Aaron Kirby – Branch Manager, Stakeholder and Collaboration, COP31 Taskforce, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
🔷 Ariel Dekovic – LGMA Constituency Focal Point, Head of Global Communications and Engagement, ICLEI World Secretariat
🔷 Dr Kate Strachan – Director of Risk & Resilience, ICLEI Oceania
🔷 Muni Reddy – Chief Executive Officer, Nadi Town Council -NTC, Fiji
🔷 Mayor Moira Were – Mayor, City of Onkaparinga, Australia

📆 Monday 14 September 2026
🕒 3:00-4:30 PM AEST / 5:00-6:30 PM FJT / 7:00-8.30 AM CET
🔗Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kie9S6TwRZitRroebRH_Mg

With Oceania playing a critical role in this year’s COP processes, this is an opportunity to hear directly from key voices and understand what is at stake for local governments.

This webinar is open to all, so share with your networks!

🔗Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kie9S6TwRZitRroebRH_Mg

02/09/2026

📢 WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT: COP31 on the horizon: What local governments need to know

Calling all local and subnational governments – join us for an ICLEI Oceania special webinar on COP31!

As UNFCCC approaches, we’re unpacking what this year’s COP cycle means for our region, how local governments can engage, and what to expect in the lead-up to, during and beyond COP31.

🔎 COP31 on the horizon: What local governments need to know
📆 Monday 14 September 2026
🕒 3:00-4:30 PM AEST / 5:00-6:30 PM FJT / 7:00-8.30 AM CET

🔗 Register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kie9S6TwRZitRroebRH_Mg

Hear from Pacific representatives alongside key organisational leaders involved in local government engagement in the COP31 proceedings.

We will cover:
➡️The Pre-COP and COP process within the UN Climate Change framework
➡️The role of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) constituency, convened by ICLEI
➡️The value of Town Hall COPs as locally-led climate summits
➡️What to expect from the joint Australia–Türkiye presidency, from COP31 through to the presidency handover to Ethiopia in 2027

With Australia co-leading the COP31 presidency and Fiji hosting the Pacific Pre-COP, the role of Oceania is critical in this year’s COP processes. As the focal point for the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency, ICLEI brings the perspectives of local and regional governments into these discussions.

This webinar is open to all, so share with your networks!

🔗 Register now: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kie9S6TwRZitRroebRH_Mg

04/08/2026

We recently hosted our first Member-Exclusive Webinar on URBAN HEAT & HEALTH, exploring the growing impacts of extreme urban heat on public health and wellbeing alongside the practical strategies being implemented across our member councils.

Here are some key takeaways from the session:
🚨 Heat is a silent urban emergency
Extreme heat is not just a weather event—it is a growing public health, social and economic emergency that affects physical and mental health, productivity and community wellbeing. Despite its severity, it is often underestimated, with media portrayals frequently masking the real risks and reinforcing unsafe behaviours.

🌡️ Heat vulnerability goes beyond temperature
Heat-related risk is driven as much by social and environmental conditions as by the temperature itself. Some communities are at much greater risk in extreme heat than others due to inadequate housing, limited access to shade and cooling, and underlying disparities in income, healthcare access, and systemic neglect.

💡Lasting solutions must be systemic
While personal actions such as staying hydrated remain important, they are not enough to address the growing impacts of extreme heat as the scale of the problem requires systemic, urgent solutions. Long-term resilience depends on integrating heat into urban planning, improving housing standards and embedding heat resilience into everyday local government decision-making.

🤝 Collaboration is essential for heat resilience
Councils are already leading innovative initiatives, such as Adelaide's Cool Wayfinding Tool and Blacktown's Cool Centres, but they continue to face significant implementation challenges, including unclear governance responsibilities, limited staff capacity and funding constraints. Creating heat-resilient communities requires coordinated action across all levels of government, researchers, community organisations and local communities alike.

A huge thank you to those who joined us, and to our brilliant speakers: Dr Heidi Albert from ICLEI Cities Health Centre, Emma Bacon from Sweltering Cities, Yael Lang & Dylan Mackay from Blacktown City Council, and David Bills from City of Adelaide.

This webinar marked the beginning of our Member-Exclusive Webinar Series, where we'll continue bringing together experts and local governments to share knowledge, exchange ideas and explore practical solutions to the critical sustainability challenges facing our councils. If you’d like to find out about joining our network, please contact our team at [email protected]. Stay tuned for upcoming sessions!

30/07/2026

This July, our member councils are taking action to reduce single-use plastics and inspire more sustainable choices across their communities.

Each year, more than 430 million tonnes of plastics are produced worldwide, but only around 9% gets recycled. The result is a growing plastic pollution crisis that is affecting ecosystems, wildlife and human health around the globe.

What initially started as a nation-wide campaign in Australia, has grown into a global movement, inspiring more than 170 million participants across over 190 countries to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics. It encourages simple behaviour changes that can collectively reduce plastic waste and support a more sustainable future.

Our member councils are at the forefront of this initiative, encouraging their residents and businesses to be more mindful of their consumption and swap single-use plastics for reusable alternatives. Throughout Plastic Free July, councils have been engaging their communities through a range of initiatives that inspire practical, everyday actions to reduce plastic waste.

🔗 Discover how some of our councils are supporting plastic-free solutions: https://icleioceania.org/2026/07/30/plastic-free-july-how-our-member-councils-are-driving-local-action/

23/07/2026

Reflections on the role of communications in achieving a more sustainable future

As we approach the UN C*D COP 17 in October and the UNFCCC COP 31 in November, it is an important moment to reflect on the actions needed to accelerate progress towards achieving a net-zero and nature-positive future. The built environment is one of the key areas with sustainable transformation potential, particularly in urban centres. Given the sector’s massive footprint – accounting for around 40% of carbon emissions and often relying on environmentally harmful materials – the built environment is a major global contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss. Transforming the built environment requires not only ambition but also a change in how sustainability is understood, valued and implemented throughout society.

So, how do we do it? The conversations we had at the Sydney Climate Action Week session on ‘Building to Zero: Making Sustainability “Normal” in the Built Environment’ highlighted that the solutions already exist. What is needed now is to make sustainable and nature-based solutions the default, financially rewarded and legally mandated way, instead of the exception. In other words, these solutions need to become the "norm".

The global ambitions agreed through the COPs must be turned into preferred actions at the local level, where government commitments are welcomed and well implemented. Without mainstreaming sustainable practices, they will continue to be regarded as niche or optional.

By embedding sustainability into everyday decisions, we can create the shifts needed to build the resilient, zero-carbon communities our future depends on.

🔗 CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/CSBMLSKGXsY

As we approach the UN C*D COP 17 in October and the UNFCCC COP 31 i...

13/07/2026

Calling all ICLEI Oceania Members – we are officially launching our member-exclusive webinar series!

Join us for this first instalment on URBAN HEAT & HEALTH
This member-only series brings together expert speakers and fellow local government representatives to share practical knowledge, spark peer-to-peer exchange, and spotlight replicable city-led solutions from across the region.

🔎 Urban Heat and Health
📆 Tuesday 21 July 2026
🕒 3:00-4:30 PM AEST
🔗 Registration for ICLEI members: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DZzHy0-nSy6uJd8uBsJVuw

This session examines extreme urban heat and its consequences for public health and wellbeing, alongside the adaptive strategies being implemented across our cities. Following a summer of soaring temperatures, the issue of heat and health in our urban centres has never been more urgent. The evidence of the problem and proven solutions to address it already exist. This webinar will explore how we move from small-scale pilots to scalable implementation and transformation, making cooling solutions more accessible and available to improve public health.

We’re looking forward to hearing from:
Dr Heidi Albert – Head, ICLEI Cities Health Centre
Emma Bacon – Executive Director, Sweltering Cities
Yael Lang & Dylan Mackay – Sustainability and Climate Resilience team, Blacktown City Council
David Bills – Manager of Low Carbon and Circular Economy, City of Adelaide

To register your attendance, click here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DZzHy0-nSy6uJd8uBsJVuw

To confirm whether your local government is a Member or find out about joining our network, please contact [email protected] to speak to one of our team.